Shohola fire chief warns of brush fires

By TOM KANE

SHOHOLA, PA — Despite the rainy weather, this is the time when brush fires can do a great deal of damage and residents should be aware of that.

Shohola fire chief Don Wall spoke this warning to residents and township officials who attended the meeting of the Shohola Township Board on March 9.

“The snow has melted and the grass and ground cover are becoming dry,” Wall said. “It may not seem to be a dangerous time for brush fires, but it is.”

Wall said the township fire department had already had two brush fires that were easily controlled.

“We don’t want the kind of experiences that California residents are now experiencing,” Wall said. “Brush fires, if they are not controlled, can spread to homes and quickly destroy them.”

Wall said the danger of such fires was much higher now that the township’s population was growing.

“We are experiencing a lot more development now that Pike County is appealing to developers,” said George J. Fluhr, chairman of the township board. “Pike County has been named the fastest growing county in Pennsylvania, and this is going to have an effect on things like brushfires. We should heed the warning of our fire chief.”

In New York, the Sullivan County Fire Coordinator said that at this time of year people start to clean up their yards and burn yard waste in barrels. “That’s where the danger is right now,” he said.