Crews Saturday were continuing to fight a wind-whipped fire on Neversink Mountain that broke out shortly after midnight.
The fast-spreading blaze and the smoke it produced were visible from miles away.
Mayor Eddie Moran said the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, or DCNR, forestry division is leading the firefighting and mop-up operation, which is expected to continue for several days.
The division is working with the city and other Berks County fire departments to control the blaze and is coordinating any additional resources required, the mayor said.
The city is asking people to keep off the mountain and its trails as firefighters work.
Protecting homes
Thanks to the overnight work of firefighters, residents and homes in the area were out of danger before noon Saturday, according to Kirk Litzenberger, a lieutenant in the Reading fire marshal’s office.
Efforts through the night concentrated on protecting homes, he said.
“Our firefighters really deserve a huge thank you,” city Councilman Jaime Baez Jr. said. “We see time and time again their unwavering dedication to our city and its residents.”
Baez, who represents council District 2 said the quick action and bravery of the firefighters was and is crucial in protecting area homes as the fire continues to burn.
Officials evacuated the 1300 block of Fairview Street in east Reading due to the threat of the fire spreading there, and neighboring streets were put on alert as well. The evacuation order was lifted once safety was ensured.
The American Red Cross Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter established an evacuation center for impacted residents at Amanda E. Stout Elementary School. It was closed when the evacuation order was lifted.
No residents were injured in the fire, Litzenberger said, but one firefighter sustained a minor injury due to the terrain.
Ongoing effort
Crews are continuing to work in the woods to contain the blaze, which has been categorized as a brush fire, he said.
Fire breaks, or intentional burnings, were employed overnight to prevent the spread of the fire to homes.
“So far, it’s been people on the ground fighting the fire,” Litzenberger said Saturday as the firefighting effort continued. “The winds and darkness last night hampered containment efforts, but they’re working on trying to get some aerial resources in now to help extinguish the fire.”
Helicopter waterbombing of forested areas began shortly after noon.
Much of the effort to fight the blaze has been driven by dry conditions and high winds, Deputy Fire Chief Mike Glore said. Both can cause the fire to spread rapidly and pose very dangerous conditions for firefighters, particularly on hilly terrain, he said.
Parts of the mountain are in Reading and Lower Alsace and Cumru townships, and all three municipalities and others have responded with resources.
“What will happen over the next, probably, several days is, through DCNR, they’ll likely rotate forestry crews in and out just to provide reliefs,” Glore said Saturday. “The fire is still very dynamic at this point, although no properties are threatened currently, they still have a very active situation in trying to get containment.”
Community reacts
Some area residents gathered in the area of South 15th and Fairview streets to watch the emergency crews at work on the ground and aerial tactics overhead.
One woman offered bottled water to the firefighters.
Nearby, a young boy watched the line of intentional fire with alarm.
“This is my park,” he wailed in distress as his mother and a crew member comforted him.
Luis Cintron, who lives with his family on South 16th Street, said he watched the burning early Saturday morning from his bedroom window, after a neighbor’s text message warning woke him at 1:09 a.m.
His house is just outside the zone evacuated, he said, but the family was prepared to leave if necessary.
“We were ready to go to my mother’s house at 3:30 in the morning with four children, two adults, two Cane Corsos, Italian mastiffs, and two cockatiels,” he said. “And she has a two-bedroom condo.”
Cintron said he and his family were not overly fearful and felt protected as the firefighters worked through the night to keep residents and their homes safe.
The mayor, who is visiting Puerto Rico, expressed his gratitude to the city’s fire department and other emergency responders. He also thanked the Reading School District for its quick action and willingness to provide a shelter for affected residents.
The mayor said he is grateful for the city’s residents, who stepped up to support one another during this time of need.
His sentiments echoed those of Baez.
“While thankfully no resident has been hurt, we know this can and has impacted residents emotionally and mentally,” Baez said. “This experience brings a sense of anxiety, and I’m glad that as residents we really stick together looking out for one another.”
The councilman said he received calls and text throughout the night from relatives, friends and constituents concerned about his safety and that of others in the neighborhood.
Former city councilor Marcia Goodman-Hinnershitz lives just one block from the area evacuated.
She got little sleep after the fire broke out about 11:30 p.m. Friday.
“I was walking down the street with the first responders as they were telling people to evacuate,” Goodman-Hinnershitz said.
Some residents were in denial and reluctant to leave their homes, she said.
It is difficult for people to leave their homes and all their possessions behind, Council President Donna Reed noted.
“I don’t discount that,” she said, “but the lives of human beings are more important than things. If you are being told to evacuate, please evacuate. Take care of yourself and your loved ones.”
A representative of Humane Pennsylvania said the organization has people on standby should the evacuation order be reactivated and any families be in need of temporary shelter for their pets.
Reed also expressed concern for those living in an encampment on the mountain near St. Peter the Apostle Cemetery on South Street.
‘I just hope they are safe and have someplace warm to go,” she said.
The cause of the fire is not known at this time, she noted, and has not been linked to the campsite.
Fires widespread
Litzenberger said the fire in Berks County is just one of several active fires in the state, spreading DCNR resources thin.
On Friday Berks County and nearby regions were under a red flag fire warning issued by the National Weather Service at Mount Holly, N.J.
Meteorologists warned of critical fire weather conditions due to a combination of strong winds and low relative humidity. The region has been experiencing extremely dry conditions since late summer.
NWS officials said an increased risk of fire spread continued Saturday.
The Berks County commissioners have enacted a ban on open burning. The measure prohibits burning leaves, grass, twigs, litter, paper, vegetative matter involved with land clearing, or any sort of debris outdoors, either in a burn barrel or on the ground.
Violators are subject to being charged with a summary offense, with increasing fines for repeated violations.
