Crews spend 5 hours at Butler Twp brush fire
A Butler Township brush fire spread quickly Saturday evening leaving more than 7 acres of burnt trees and brush in its wake.
“There was a heavy woods fire running up over the hill going toward AK Steel,” said Butler Township Fire Chief Kevin Smith, whose department took lead on the call.
Multiple fire departments were called to the fire around 5 p.m. Saturday at 106 Dee Lane, where they spent about five hours battling it.
A unit from VA Butler Fire and Emergency Services was first to arrive on scene.
“They stopped to protect the house and shed,” Smith said. “None of that caught fire.”
Smith said dry conditions before Saturday's rainstorms allowed the fire to spread quickly through the wooded area.
Smith said firefighters were able to take their brush trucks down some logging roads to stop the head of the fire.
“The bulk of the fire was probably knocked down within the first hour and a half,” Smith said. “The rest of (the time) was hot spots in the woods.”
Smith said firefighters has to access the hot spots over a wide area. He said a hydrant at the end of the road, a lot of equipment and communication were key to avoiding further flare-ups.
“We actually laid 800 feet of large-diameter hose up the lane and used the water off that hydrant to feed our rescue (truck), which filled our brush trucks,” Smith said.
Smith said he believed the fire began from a controlled burn that got out of hand. According to a report from Butler County 911, the scene was cleared around 10:10 p.m.
Herman, Unionville and Penn Township fire departments assisted at the scene.
Editor's Note: This article was updated Tuesday, April 13 to reflect the correct name of the VA Butler Fire and Emergency Services.
