Fire departments across Indiana County were called out for eight brush fire calls yesterday on what was the warmest day of the year so far.
The first brush fire was reported on Willow Road in Armstrong Township, with Indiana, Elderton and Coal run fire departments at 11:55. About a half-hour later, Brush Valley and Armagh Fire departments would be called for a fire on Route 259 in Brush Valley Township. Then six brush fires were reported within the 1:00 PM hour in Indiana County. The calls were for areas on Ruth Drive in Rayne Township, Route 286 West in Young Township, a second call on Route 259, Smyrna Road in South Mahoning Township, Hoop Hill Drive in North Mahoning Township and Maruca Road in Armstrong township. Crews from Indiana, Marion Center, Plumville, Iselin, Saltsburg, Brush Valley, Homer City, Creekside, Rural Valley, and Perry Township were called out for those fires. The brush fire on Hoop Hill Drive spread to a shed nearby. Otherwise, there’s no information on the extent of the damage from these fires.
Ron Moreau of the Indiana Fire Association said that while the ground may have been wet with the melting snow, the brush on top of that was very dry.
Other calls were reported on Wednesday, including a house fire on South Stewart Street in Blairsville Borough at 2:08 PM. Black Lick fire officials say that it was a grease fire that was out by the time crews got there, but one person did have minor burns. Marion Center Fire Department was dispatched for a tractor that caught fire on Hastings Road at 5:53 PM. And Armagh-East Wheatfield fire department along with citizens ambulance and state police were called out for a vehicle crash at 8:22 PM on Route 22 East in East Wheatfield Township.
