Area Firefighters Battle Two Brush Fires in One Day

We all know that April showers bring May flowers, but the month’s wind gusts bring something else—brush fires.

Firefighters from Callery, Adams, Cranberry, Evans City, Middlesex and Wexford did battle with two brush fires that occurred within 30 minutes of each other Monday afternoon in Adams Township.

Callery Assistant Chief Craig Huffman said firefighters were called to Brickyard Road near the Brickyard Park Plaza at about 2:45 p.m. Huffman said a wooded area near the Seaton Crest housing plan was burning when volunteers arrived on the scene.

The flames were knocked out within 25 minutes, he said. While firefighters were still on the scene they received another call for a brush fire in Adams, this one on Callery Road.

Huffman said a homeowner in the 700 block of the road was burning leaves when a gust of wind caused a nearby woodpile to catch fire.

“It doesn’t take much for this to happen,” Huffman said.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames. There was no damage to the home.

Huffman said outdoor burning is not recommended during dry, windy conditions like the ones in place Monday.

No alert was in place Monday, but on Friday the National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for a wide section of Western Pennsylvania.

A Red Flag Warning means that dangerous fire weather conditions exist because of the combination of gusty winds, low relative humidity, and dry fine fuels.

Any fires that develop may quickly get out of control and become difficult to contain when a fire alert is in place. Outdoor burning is not recommended.

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