WARREN — Two forest fires are burning in Warren, each estimated at 100 acres in size.
The District 15 wildfire suppression crew, from McKean County, was dispatched Thursday evening to help with the Hemlock Road fire in Glade Township.
The Allegheny National Fish Hatchery is at the end of Hemlock Road by the Kinzua Dam, while the other end of the road is near the bridge over the Allegheny River on U.S. Route 6, near United Refining.
Pennsylvania State Forest Fire Warden Dan Burkhouse reported that the District 15 crew constructed a fire line and performed burn-out operation until midnight Friday morning. Crew members returned to the fire line at 7 a.m. Friday and did cold trail and mop up work. Two bulldozers were brought in to improve fire line conditions, he said.
On Thursday, an air tanker made several drops on the blaze. Several volunteer fire departments from Warren County have been on the scene, protecting structures in the area.
The crew returned home at 3:30 p.m. Friday, and was awaiting word on whether another crew would be needed today. Burkhouse said the crew was led by himself, and fellow fire wardens Tim Burkhouse and Tim Crissman.
Meanwhile, a wildfire at Cobham Hill Road in Tidioute has burned over 100 acres since it was reported at 12:24 p.m. Thursday.
Tidioute Volunteer Fire Department, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), and the U.S. Forest Service share command at the fire scene.
Local equipment and personnel are in use from volunteer fire departments, Warren County Public Safety, DCNR and ANF. There are also two airplanes and a helicopter utilized for fire suppression and info gathering. More specialized teams and equipment were requested from Coudersport, Ridgway, Harrisburg, the Finger Lakes region in central New York and the Wayne National Forest in southern Ohio.
Meanwhile, Cobham Hill Road itself is closed, at least into next week, due to damage caused by the wildfire. Officials say they will need to investigate the extent of the damage once the fire is out and determine what repairs are needed to pipes under the roadway.
The road is closed from Route 62 to the intersection with Hearts Content Road. A detour is in place.
Two forest fires at Ohiopyle State Park in Fayette County burned nearly 500 acres before being contained on Friday.
