UPDATE: Given the wildfire threat, Pennsylvania prohibits starting fires on state game lands

A wildfire burning on Blue Mountain near Lehigh Gap for the fourth day in a row has more than tripled in size in the past 24 hours.

Officials say 577 hectares of land have burned and dry conditions are making it difficult to control the flames.

Only 25% of the fire is contained, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources spokesman Wesley Robinson told lehighvalleylive.com Tuesday afternoon.

Officials reported that around midday Monday, 180 acres of the mountain had burned and the fire was about 20% contained.

Multiple agencies continue to work around the clock to combat the fire that broke out Saturday near Route 248 in Lehigh Township. The fire was originally reported at 3:38 p.m. east of the gap that the Lehigh River had eroded into the Blue Mountain's Kittatinny Ridge.

Responders include regional firefighters from the Lehigh Township Volunteer Fire Co. and mutual aid departments, the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry and the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Northampton County Emergency Management is also providing assistance on site.

A firefighter who suffered an injury Monday was taken to a local hospital for treatment and has since been released, said Bob Kurilla, spokesman for the office, which is part of the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. No other injuries were reported.

Jeremy Hamilton, incident commander, posted on social media that Monday night's fire activity posed some challenges to resources on site. Crews at the top of the Appalachian Trail were able to keep the flames from crossing the ridge to the north near Carbon County. Others managed to stop the spread eastward above Timberline Road, he said.

“There will be many more days of hard work securing the barrier and clearing hotspots,” Hamilton said.

The Appalachian Trail, which runs through the area, remains closed to the public.

Temporary burning bans have come into effect in some counties. Visitors are asked to avoid the scene of the fire due to the risk of hotspots and falling trees. However, the threat to homes on Timberline Road has diminished, Hamilton said.

“People will still see glowing trees and areas of internal activity,” he added. “There will continue to be smoke for the foreseeable future. Staff must work on site and monitor conditions.”

Kurilla told lehighvalleylive.com that crews are expected to remain on site for at least the remainder of the week if dry conditions continue and there is no “good drenching.”

The National Weather Service is forecasting warmer temperatures to continue this week, rising to the high 70s on Wednesday, with winds up to 10 mph and gusts up to 20 mph in the Walnutport area.

Meteorologists say there is a 20% chance of showers before 1pm on Wednesday after mostly clear skies on Monday and Tuesday. The next chance of rain for the region is on Sunday, according to the forecast.

Officials are using bulldozers to dig up highly flammable organic material around the flames to prevent the flames from advancing. Kurilla described this as a “cleanup phase,” meaning that despite only being at 25 percent containment, officials do not expect the flames to advance any further.

“Stumps,” Kurilla said, are cut down. Those are dead trees that could send burning embers down control lines, he said.

“It’s best to drop them on the ground,” Kurilla said.

In addition, two helicopters dumped hundreds of gallons of water from the Lehigh River along the fire site, Kurilla said.

No buildings were damaged in the fire. However, eight buildings are considered at risk from the fire and crews have been deployed to protect them, officials said.

Blue Mountain Ski Resort in Palmerton, about four miles from the wildfire, announced on its Facebook page that it would use pumps and water retention ponds to help fill fire engines.

The Greater Northern Lehigh Chamber, with support from the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, has also launched a fundraiser to benefit local volunteer fire departments and emergency response teams.

Neither the origin nor the cause of the forest fire could be determined. Kurilla believes that both will be resolved at some point.

According to the DCNR, 99% of wildfires in Pennsylvania are caused by human activities and result in the destruction of thousands of acres of state and private forests each year.

Please subscribe now and support the local journalism you trust and rely on.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann can be reached at [email protected].