A Herman volunteer firefighter is in stable condition this morning, a day after he was struck by a falling tree as he helped fight a woods fire off Dalmagro Road in Clearfield Township, authorities said.

The tree fell on the firefighter, who authorities did not identify, said Chief Rob McLafferty of the Herman Volunteer Fire Department. The tree struck him in the head and a shoulder.

A medical helicopter flew the injured man to a Pittsburgh trauma center at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh.

At least 50 firefighters from eight departments battled the blaze that broke out shortly after 3 p.m. A homeowner burning rubbish near his home apparently started the accidental fire.

“(He) said he was burning boxes next to his garage and (the fire) went into the woods,” said Chief Scott Rattigan of the East Butler Volunteer Fire Department.

The homeowner tried but was unable to stop the fire, authorities said.

Several acres had already burned by the time fire crews go there. Firefighters used water lines, axes, chain saws and all-terrain vehicles to gain control of and extinguish the blaze.

The firefighter who was injured was helping in the cleanup effort when the tree came down on him, Rattigan said.

Rescue crews treated the man before he was placed on a backboard and taken out of the woods on an ATV. An East Butler Ambulance crew drove him to the nearby Clearfield Elementary School where a helicopter landed before flying him to Allegheny General Hospital.

A forestry official with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources inspected the fire damage and determined that 10 acres burned.

Fire crews returned to their stations about 7:15 p.m.