The recent dry stretch of weather has increased the likelihood of wildfires, and Indiana County firefighters responded to five of them yesterday.
The first brush fire was reported at 7 AM along Old William Penn Highway in Burrell Township. Blairsville and Blacklick firefighters responded. Then over a span of just over an hour, starting at 2:49 PM, there were four more. Saltsburg and Avonmore were dispatched into Bell Township, Westmoreland County for a brush fire along Bell Point Road. Two minutes later, Rossiter was sent to a fire along Smyerstown Road in Jefferson County. At 3:52 PM, Elderton was summoned to a brush fire along Anthony Run Road in Armstrong Township, with Indiana firefighters joining them soon afterward. Finally, Tunnelton and Saltsburg firefighters responded to Waukena Road, again in Westmoreland County.
In the Bell Township fire, an elderly man who was burning brush suffered severe burns to both legs when his pants caught fire. He was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital. A shed burned down in that fire.
There have been 10 wildfires in the area since last Wednesday.
