Crews continue to battle the fire on Neversink Mountain in Reading [updated]

Crews were battling a wind-driven fire on Neversink Mountain on Saturday that broke out shortly after midnight.

The fast-spreading fire and the smoke it produced were visible from miles away.

Mayor Eddie Moran said the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Forestry Division is leading the fire suppression and cleanup operation, which is expected to last several days.

The division is working with the city and other Berks County fire departments to control the fire and is coordinating any additional resources needed, the mayor said.

The city is asking people to stay off the mountain and trails while firefighters work.

Protect homes

Thanks to firefighters’ overnight work, residents and homes in the area were out of harm’s way before noon Saturday, said Kirk Litzenberger, a lieutenant in the Reading Fire Marshal’s office.

Efforts overnight focused on protecting homes, he said.

“Our firefighters really deserve a huge thank you,” said City Council Member Jaime Baez Jr. “We see again and again their unwavering dedication to our city and its residents.”

Baez, who represents Council District 2, said the quick action and bravery of firefighters was and is crucial in protecting homes in the area as the fire continues to burn.

Officials evacuated the 1300 block of Fairview Street in east Reading due to the threat of the fire spreading there, and adjacent streets were also warned. The evacuation order was lifted once safety was assured.

The American Red Cross Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter has established an evacuation center for affected residents of Amanda E. Stout Elementary School. It was closed when the evacuation order was lifted.

No residents were injured in the fire, Litzenberger said, but the terrain left one firefighter with minor injuries.

Continuous effort

Crews continue to work in the forest to contain the blaze, which has been categorized as a forest fire, he said.

Burn breaks, or deliberate burns, were implemented at night to prevent the fire from spreading to homes.

“So far it has been people on the ground fighting the fire,” Litzenberger said Saturday as firefighting efforts continued. “The wind and darkness last night have hampered efforts to contain the fire, but they are now trying to get some air aid to help extinguish the fire.”

Shortly after noon, water bombing of forest areas with helicopters began.

Much of the firefighting effort has been driven by dry conditions and high winds, Deputy Fire Chief Mike Glore said. Both can cause the fire to spread quickly and create very dangerous conditions for firefighters, especially in hilly terrain, he said.

Parts of the mountain lie in the townships of Reading, Lower Alsace and Cumru, and all three councils and other councils have responded with resources.

“What will happen over the next, probably several days, is they will probably rotate forestry crews through DCNR to provide assistance,” Glore said Saturday. “The fire is still very dynamic at this time, although no properties are currently threatened, but there is still a very active situation in trying to gain control.”

Community responds

Some area residents gathered near South 15th Street and Fairview Street to watch emergency responders on the ground and aerial tactics overhead.

One woman offered bottled water to the firefighters.

Nearby, a young boy looked in alarm at the line of deliberate fire.

“This is my park,” he whimpered sadly as his mother and a crew member comforted him.

Luis Cintron, who lives with his family on South 16th Street, said he watched the fire from his bedroom window early Saturday morning after a neighbor’s warning woke him at 1:09 a.m.

His home was evacuated just outside the zone, he said, but the family was prepared to leave if necessary.

“We were ready to go to my mother’s house at 2:30 in the morning with four children, two adults, two Cane Corsos, Italian mastiffs and two cockatiels,” he said. “And she has a two-bedroom apartment.”

Cintron said he and his family were not overly scared and felt protected as firefighters worked through the night to keep residents and their homes safe.

The mayor, who is visiting Puerto Rico, expressed his gratitude to the city’s fire department and other first responders. He also thanked the Reading School District for its quick action and willingness to provide shelter to affected residents.

The mayor said he is grateful for the city’s residents who supported each other in this time of need.

His sentiments echoed Baez’s.

“While fortunately no resident was injured, we know this can and does impact residents emotionally and mentally,” Baez said. “This experience brings with it a sense of fear, and I am happy that as residents we really stick together and care for each other.”

The councilman said he received calls and text messages throughout the night from family members, friends and constituents concerned about his safety and that of others in the neighborhood.

Former city council member Marcia Goodman-Hinnershitz lives just a block away from the evacuated area.

She got little sleep after the fire broke out around 11:30 pm on Friday.

“I was walking down the street with the first responders as they were telling people to evacuate,” Goodman-Hinnershitz said.

Some residents were in denial and hesitant to leave their homes, she said.

It’s difficult for people to leave their homes and all their belongings behind, Council President Donna Reed noted.

“I’m not ignoring that,” she said, “but people’s lives are more important than things. If you are told to evacuate, please evacuate. Take good care of yourself and your loved ones.”

A Humane Pennsylvania representative said the organization has people on standby in case the evacuation order is reactivated and families need temporary shelter for their pets.

Reed also expressed concern for those living in an encampment on the mountain near St. Peter the Apostle Cemetery on South Street.

“I just hope they are safe and in a warm place,” she said.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time, she noted, and has not been linked to the campground.

Fires widespread

Litzenberger said the Berks County fire is just one of several active fires across the state, leaving DCNR resources stretched thin.

On Friday, Berks County and nearby regions were under a red flag fire warning issued by the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, N.J.

Meteorologists warned of critical fire conditions due to a combination of high winds and low relative humidity. The region has been experiencing extremely dry conditions since late summer.

NWS officials said the increased risk of fire spread continued Saturday.

Berks County commissioners have issued a ban on open burning. The measure prohibits the burning of leaves, grass, twigs, litter, paper, vegetative material involved in land clearing, or any form of waste outdoors, either in a burning barrel or on the ground.

Violators can be charged with a misdemeanor, with increasing fines for repeat violations.

A large forest fire on Neversink Mountain can be seen through St. Peter the Apostle Cemetery on South Street in Reading. (Susan L. Angstadt for Reading Eagle) A large thicket on Neversink Mountain can be seen looking up at South 14th Street in Reading. (Susan L. Angstadt – Reading Eagle) A large brush fire on Neversink Mountain can be seen from South 13th Street near St. Peter’s Cemetery in Reading. (Susan L. Angstadt for Reading Eagle) A large thicket on Neversink Mountain can be seen through St. Peter the Apostle Cemetery on South Street in Reading. (Susan Angstadt for Reading Eagle) A wildfire engulfs Neversink Mountain Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE) Residents of South Ninth Street evacuate their homes as a wildfire engulfs Neversink Mountain Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE) A forest fire engulfs Neversink Mountain Saturday, November 9, 2024. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE) A forest fire engulfs Neversink Mountain Saturday, November 9, 2024. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE) A forest fire engulfs Neversink Mountain as seen on South Ninth Street on Saturday, November 9, 2024. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)