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Bucks County brush fire under control as crews douse hot spots
A brush fire raged near New Hope Friday and fire crews recruited help from neighbors to help clear brush as they brought the fire under control.
NEW HOPE, Pa. - Fire crews have been working for hours Friday putting out hot spots caused by a brush fire.
Several fire companies have been in New Hope after a three-alarm brush fire broke out around 1 p.m.
The fire was in the Lower Mountain Road, in Solebury Township. Crews reported the fire was, for the most part, under control.
"It was terrifying," said Christian Bauman. Late Friday night firefighters were still in the woods keeping a watchful eye on a brush fire burning since around one o'clock Friday afternoon in New Hope.
"I smelled smoke and I walked by this window and I looked out and that entire ridge line was on fire," he said. Bauman can see spots flaring up just a few hundred feet away from his home.
"The wind gusts were so strong and, at first, the wind was blowing that way and then it turned and it was coming right this way and it was terrifying," he said.
Emergency crews blocked off roads leading to the affected area. It is where New Hope Ivyland Railroad crosses Aquetong Road. Residents say they pitched in to help firefighters facing a myriad of challenges.
"We're literally having to cut roads all through the brush," said Hugh Marshall.
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He lives nearby and owns a landscaping contractor business in town and says New Hope Fire asked him and other contractors to help. He recorded cellphone video after he brought in eight workers with chain saws and bulldozers to help crews get a direct path to the fire area.
"We've got one machine that opens it up and another machine that follows to get it open, so that there is basically a fire stop, so that the trucks can get in there and put it out. There are just fires everywhere back in the woods, back there," said Marshall.
Officials say the brush fire is under control. But there are some new challenges as spots continue to flare.
"Now it's dark. You need to get lighting in there for everybody to work and a lot of guys are exhausted. They have been at this since one o’clock," said Hugh Hager, with Midway Volunteer Fire Company.
Ed Closson lives near the scene and also helped out with his backhoe after talking to firefighters.
"They wanted to dig a ramp into the creek, so you get the machinery over, so I started to dig on that for them for a few. Then they got two big machines from the state."
He is grateful for the work of so many fire companies that assisted New Hope.
"Thankfully everybody's safe. No homes were damaged," said Closson.
Officials say no one was evacuated.