MONROE COUNTY — Fire crews spent hours in the biting cold trying to get control of a brush fire Tuesday afternoon.
About 8 acres of land was left scorched at Camp Dora Golding near Marshalls Creek.
“Somebody was burning brush. Obviously it’s not a good day to burn. Check with your local municipality if you want to burn, there’s no burning allowed in this area at this time,” said Marshalls Creek Fire Chief Joseph Quaresimo.
The fire destroyed two tent platforms on the campgrounds, but it could have done a lot more damage.
Fire officials said people who live in nearby homes were concerned.
Crews cut 40 to 50 dead trees to clear the area and stop the flames.
The whipping wind made their job difficult, spreading the fire quickly.
“They’d get one side knocked down and then the wind would take it in the other direction and then it was all uphill and fire burns faster uphill and the wind was behind it,” said Bill Delling of the PA Forestry Bureau.
Fire officials warned people to keep from outdoor burning in the next few weeks.
The National Weather Service has issued a brush fire warning through Wednesday because of dry conditions and high winds.
“It was snowing this morning here and now this afternoon we had a fire and that’s what happens in April, it only takes a couple hours to dry the leaves out,” said Delling.
“This is the season now, we’re in it. It’s going to be for a couple months, with the dry season going on and the winds, people might not think it’s dry, but it’s dry out,” agreed Chief Quaresimo.
Fire officials said the people who started the blaze could be in trouble in Monroe County.
