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Firefighters from Montana and Minnesota have joined local crews in battling the wildfire on Neversink Mountain in Reading. The fire, which has been burning for several days, is being fought under the leadership of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) forestry division. The division's incident commander, Jeremy Hamilton, stated that the focus is on controlling the fire's perimeter and ensuring safety.
The fire, which has affected approximately 137 acres of both privately and publicly owned woodland, is still considered active. Hamilton urged the public to stay off the mountain until the fire is declared inactive. He also noted that the fire will remain active until it is fully contained and extinguished, even after firefighters are no longer on the scene.
The unusually active wildfire season this fall has been attributed to historic dry conditions. "With the overall, overall fires that have been going on this year, that, with them being so numerous, that pretty much just has us tapped out," Hamilton told WFMZ-TV.
The arrival of out-of-state crews has brought some relief to the local firefighters. "This is a massive coordination effort," Hamilton said to WFMZ-TV. The fire is currently around 60% contained, and the cause remains under investigation.