Butler fire crews stretched thin with abundance of brush fires
While Butler County fire companies stretch themselves thin this week responding to multiple brush fires at the same time, fire chiefs are calling on residents to stop burning.
“A brush fire can spread very, very quickly with these drier conditions,” said Curt Mershimer, West Sunbury Volunteer Fire Company chief.
Unionville Volunteer Fire Department Chief Nathan Wulff said most local wildfires have been caused by people burning dry material after cleaning their yard. He said fires should be monitored with tools on hand to put them out, but burning should be avoided this time of year.
Conditions elevating the risk of wildfires have been predominant this week. The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh said dry and windy conditions Tuesday afternoon created elevated risk of wildfire. Strong gusts and low humidity have combined to create the potential for rapid spread of fire.
The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources recommends restricting burning to the early morning and late evening to avoid windy conditions. The weather service advised caution when handling ignition sources like matches, cigarettes or machinery.
“The dirt might feel wet, but everything on top of it is absolutely dry,” Wulff said.
Fire crews use a variety of tools to fight brush fires — when they can get to them. Mershimer said brush and wood fires often come with access barriers that make it difficult to get water to the scene.
Mershimer said the West Sunbury and Prospect volunteer fire companies responded to a brush fire around 2:45 p.m. Monday on a hillside next to a railroad in Clay Township. The call came in for about half an acre of woods on fire, but Mershimer said about 3 to 4 acres were on fire by the time crews arrived.
Wulff said the fire itself was a mile away from the road, and the crews had to traverse train tracks and wooded hills to get to it.
Canadian National was contacted to shut down the railway, and a representative was on scene to clear the way for a slow-moving train.
Mershimer called in Prospect’s utility vehicle hauling a water tank, pump and three firefighters into the trees on the hillside to attack the fire. He said wood fires offer additional access challenges to getting their large vehicles to the fire.
The fire engine carries between 200 and 250 feet of hose line, and multiple extensions had to be added to reach the fire, Mershimer said. The tanker could not be driven down the side road to the scene, so crews had to return to the main road for more water.
Mershimer said fire crews also have backpacks called “Indian cans” that spray water. Hand tools like shovels and rakes are also used to redistribute dry material and create breaks in the fire’s path.
When another brush fire began around 3:56 p.m. off Beaver Dam Road, Unionville Volunteer Fire Company and North Washington Volunteer Fire Department took over the scene for crews from West Sunbury and Prospect to respond.
When fighting brush fires in fields, Mershimer said crews must check the softness of the ground in case their vehicles sink.
Wulff said if the scene is under control, the chief on scene will make a judgment call if crews can be spared to another call. He said Western Pennsylvania has mundane wildfires compared to other parts of the country, and fires will typically burn out if there’s a break between fuel sources like a road or stream.
If there is no break, everything between is susceptible to fire.
Modern homes are more susceptible than older homes due to their contents, building materials and techniques, Wulff said. According to The National Fire Protection Association, modern home occupants have two minutes to safely escape from the time the fire alarm rings.
Wulff said while homes used to be built solely from wood and natural fibers, synthetic materials made from oils and plastics like vinyl, plastic foam and chemicals in wood glues burn hotter and faster while producing a more toxic smoke.
Mershimer said responding to the large number of fires is made possible by their work across fire departments.
“We may be separate departments, but we’re a team,” Mershimer said.
