NORTHAMPTON COUNTY, Pa. — The Lehigh Gap Nature Center near Palmerton had a front-row seat to the wildfire that engulfed nearly 600 acres on Blue Mountain.
"It started near the fencing up there. That's actually the Appalachian trail that cuts up the ridge there," said Lehigh Gap Nature Center Executive Director Chad Schwartz.
For more than a week, people watched on as local fire crews and teams from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources worked around the clock to put out the fire.
DCNR workers utilized back burns and aerial water drops.
Now that the fire has been contained, those hundreds of acres are left blackened and burnt.
The smell of fire still lingers in the air and puffs of dry ash come up with each step along the trail near the base of the mountain.
Chad Schwartz with the nature center says that devastation can actually have a positive impact on the forest.
"A lot of the trees, especially on the mountain here, can benefit from that. It puts a surge of nutrients in the ground, and it can actually cause some trees to release their seeds, especially certain pine species, so it's not as bad as some people might think," explained Schwartz.
With the mountain left charred and ashy, wildlife experts say despite how bad the aftermath of a wild fire looks, nature has the ability to bounce back.
"It is interesting to see how plants do come back very quickly. It might be a different species than we had on the mountain prior to the burn, but I'd imagine it will be pretty green this spring," said Schwartz.
The fire also sent wildlife running for safety. Schwartz says just like the plant life, animals also find their way back.
"When there is a fire like this, it will push animals away from the site. Some animals are displaced, and folks in surrounding areas may see more wildlife that might have been living there, but they have other habitats to live in, too," said Schwartz.
Wildlife experts are reminding people to listen to local officials and avoid burning.