Blue Mountain fire more than half-contained; ‘mop-up’ work continues
LEHIGH TWP., Pa. — A brush fire on Blue Mountain that has been burning for nearly a week, engulfing almost 600 acres, is now more than half contained, officials said Thursday.
"[The] acreage is at 577 and 58% contained," said Bob Kurilla, a public information officer with the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. "Crews are working today at mopping up and patrolling the fire perimeter."
The Blue Mountain fire, also called the Gap Fire, erupted Saturday near Route 248 in Lehigh Township .
Over the following days, the fire grew from 150 acres to almost 600, quickly becoming the largest brush fire the area has seen in more than two decades . Dozens of firefighters from more than 30 state and local agencies have been working day and night to battle the blaze, including pulling water from the Lehigh River via helicopter.
Residents have responded, dropping off so many donations officials said it's "like nothing we've ever seen."
As of Tuesday, officials said the blaze was in the "mop up" phase , meaning the fire was no longer advancing, but crews continued to identify and extinguish any remaining hotspots.
In a Wednesday post on the Lehigh Township Volunteer Fire Company's Facebook page, officials shared a message from the DCNR's Incident Management Team, thanking those who made donations.
"Many of us forestry professionals have decades of experience working wildfire incidents across the United States and Alaska," according to the post. "What's remarkable about the Gap Fire incident is the unprecedented outpouring of kindness and support from the local community.
"We have never seen anything comparable."
The cause and point of origin of the fire is still under investigation.
Red flag warning, drought
The wildfire started a day after the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, N.J., issued a red flag warning for a large swath of the region, including the Lehigh Valley.
A red flag warning is issued when the risk of fire danger is highest, and residents are urged to be extremely cautious with any open flame.
The area is also in a drought, with the U.S. Drought Monitor showing Lehigh and Northampton counties in extreme and severe drought, respectively . The state Department of Environmental Protection has declared a drought watch for both counties . As a result, the Lehigh County Authority has asked residents to voluntarily begin conserving water.
Officials from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources on Tuesday announced a campfire ban on state park and forest lands until further notice. Prescribed burns have also been paused.
"While Pennsylvania saw heavy rain and flooding over the summer, recent dry conditions, paired with sunny days, unseasonably warm temperatures, and low humidity, have heightened wildfire risk," according to a news release. "The 10-day forecast for most of Pennsylvania predicts little or no precipitation, exacerbating the already heightened situation."
Last month, the NWS said eight of its nine climate stations set new monthly records for the driest October on record , as well as all-time station records for driest calendar month.
The region's driest month on record has so far been followed by a string of record-high temperatures , breaking past highs on Halloween, Election Day and Wednesday.
And forecasters said more fire weather — dry, warm and windy conditions — could persist.
