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ELSAH - Firefighters were called multiple times to an area just west of Lockhaven Hill on Wednesday afternoon after a bluffs blaze rekindled from early in the week.
QEM Fire Protection District Chief Gerry New and his crew were busy most of the day fighting the rekindled fire. The firefighters were called first at 11 a.m., then again after it was contained were called back in the later afternoon around 4 p.m. and even in the evening. New said he thought firefighters would be back out there Thursday morning continuing to monitor the situation.
New said it just wasn’t safe to be out there for the firefighters with it being so dark and the territory rough when contacted about 9 last night. He said at that time about 10 firefighters were joining him on the bluffs. Godfrey Fire Protection District members also assisted during the day on Wednesday, New said.
Early in the week, New said he thought someone may have discarded a cigarette to start the fire.
“Conditions are favorable for a fire right now,” he said that day. “It doesn’t take much to fuel it as dry as it has been.”
“There were a lot of burning embers and we were not able to get to some of it today because of the elevation. It has created all kinds of havoc. We are using the words 'under control' cautiously because there is a lot of stuff heading down from the town rolling down from the trees, but we are contained for the moment. It is west of Lockhaven about a half mile or so. We cannot get to an area about 300 feet above the bluff.”
