<URL destination=”http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20150406/firefighters-battle-brush-fire-in-new-hanover”>The fire began around 2 p.m. at a property along the 2300 block of Colflesh Road, near routes 663 and 73.
</URL>New Hanover Township Fire Chief Phil Agliano said the flames started from a neighbor burning brush.
“The neighbor was burning brush and it got away from them,” he said. “The large dried up pasture leading to woodlands with dry conditions – (the fire) just took off and ran.”
Spring is generally the season where incidents like this tend to happen, he said.
Given the fact that dry underbrush left over from winter is still on the ground and new vegetation hasn’t come through, “warmer temperatures, low humidity and breezy conditions make it easier for something like this to happen,” Agliano said.
The fire took about two hours to contain and approximately four hours to prevent further hot spots. The fire was difficult to control due to the overgrown wooded conditions and rural area, he said.
“We had to utilize every resource to get water to get the fire contained,” Agliano said. “It was a man-power intensive operation.”
Two more fires in the area tested the resources of local fire companies. A fire in Robeson Township in Berks County on April 6 at 5:30 p.m. consumed about 12 acres of forest and caused about $200,000 in damage to a house on the 100 block of Leighton Lane.
It took several hours for firefighters to gain control of the conflagration due to the same factors of win, temperature and dry conditions. Wind gusts can pick up embers and rapidly spread the flames.
A release from state police said the origins of the fire had not been determined. A nearby fire in Union Township was determined to be caused by the intentional burning of foliage, according to state police.
Agliano spoke of the dangers of burning brush in dry weather. At any point in the year, dry weather and wind can combine to create the kind of conditions that make burning dangerous.
“No one plans on this to happen. It’s purely an accident, but unfortunately you end up with these situations that we saw all over the area (April 6) and it is a huge draw on resources to get them contained,” he said.
Fire companies from as far away as Honey Brook, Chester County responded to the Union Township fire on the 200 block of Shed Road, as local fire companies were occupied with the Robeson blaze.
For those planning on burning brush, Agliano gave some pointers. First and foremost, check with your municipality. Every township and borough has different restrictions on burning foliage, he said.
“Sometimes the fire marshal will come out to check a pile before they light it and make sure it’s not something that is going to get away from them,” Agliano said.
Residents should always have a garden hose handy when burning anything as well, keeping a watchful eye on flames and embers to make sure it stays contained. Even after the fire is finished burning, it should be checked for anything that might be left smoldering that could rekindle.
