Firefighters battled a rapidly spreading wildfire in Butler Township on Wednesday afternoon, as dry and windy conditions turned a controlled burn into a dangerous blaze.
At approximately 1:30 p.m., emergency personnel were dispatched to 134 Broad Street in Fountain Springs following reports of a brush fire. Initially described as "small in nature," the fire originated from a burn barrel but quickly grew out of control.
Upon arrival, Butler Township firefighters found that about a half-acre of brush was already ablaze. As the fire spread rapidly due to gusty winds, officials escalated the response to a second alarm and requested assistance from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) forestry units.
Within minutes, DCNR personnel were on the scene, but the fire had already begun climbing the mountain. To combat the growing inferno, air support was requested, and an airplane was deployed to perform water drops over the affected area.
Fire crews worked tirelessly for over two hours, battling intense flames and difficult terrain. Fortunately, Mother Nature lent a helping hand, as rain moved into the area and assisted in extinguishing the remaining hot spots.
By 5:00 p.m., most of the local fire departments had cleared the scene, leaving DCNR to handle the final mop-up operations.
Officials have urged residents to exercise extreme caution when conducting controlled burns, especially in dry and windy conditions, to prevent future incidents.
It was reported that over 20 acres were burned in the incident. No homes were damaged during the incident and no injuries were reported.
