PAGE DOWN TO VIEW STORY UPDATES:
(TamaquaArea.com reporter Kathleen Quinn-Farber contributed to this story/photos.)
Below are submitted and online photos/videos of a forest fire yesterday (Saturday, April 18, 2015) and today (Sunday, April 19, 2015) in East Penn Township in Carbon County.
The fire was first spotted around 2:30 PM yesterday on a mountain south east of the East Penn Sporting Club.
Witnesses said flames reached as high as 40 feet in the air.
Helicopters, planes and multiple forestry crews were used to battle the fast-moving flames.
Tamaqua’s South Ward Fire Company’s Forestry crew, along with firefighters from New England/Walker Township, West Penn Township, Tamaqua fire department, Lansford Fire Company, Summit Hill Fire Company, Coaldale Fire Company, Nesquehoning Fire Company and many others.
“I only heard rumors that there were homes in danger, but don’t know if that was true,” said TamaquaArea.com reporter Kathleen Quinn-Farber on Saturday. “I do have a friend right now i was just talking to. The fire was 1/4 mile from his house.”
“The fire was directly behind the East Penn Sporting Club,” added Farber. “The biggest area of fire was there and another smaller area was to the left of it, perhaps a mile away or less.”
Farber continued saying, “The fire police were very busy with crowd control. When I left, the traffic was bumper to bumper crazy and people were all over the place with cameras and so on. Lots of people, like how streets crowd up to watch a parade.”
As of 11:55 PM Saturday night, firefighters were still on scene battling the fire.
PAGE DOWN FOR UPDATES:
UPDATE: (6:30 AM, Sunday, April 19, 2015)
From Farber:
“Update on fire from a friend whose home is less than 1/4 mi from flames…this update was from approx 7 AM. Still burning on the Bowmanstown side. The East Penn side seems out. A lot of white smoke. The Bowmanstown side seems to be moving slow. Between 1 AM and now 6:30 AM, it moved about 50-100 feet. You can still see small flames at the very top of the mountain.”
UPDATE: (1 PM, Sunday, April 19, 2015)
Witnesses said fire was still burning as of Sunday morning, just “not as fierce.”
From Farber:
“According to a friend of mine whose home is in close proximity to the area of the East Penn wildfire, she just told me the following:
The fire seems contained, there have been a few planes today dropping the flame retardant dust in the area of the original start point of the fire, there is visible smoke but they have not seen flames so far today from the vantage point of their home.”
UPDATE: (2 PM, Sunday, April 19, 2015)
Local area fire companies and forestry crews dispatched again to battle the fire; to include South Ward Fire Company, Walker Township /New England Fire Company, Citizen’s Fire Company, Lansford Fire Company, Summit Hill Fire Company, Nesquehoning Fire Company, West Penn Fire Company…
UPDATE: (5 PM, Sunday, April 19, 2015)
From Farber on Facebook:
“Fire police shutting down SR895.”
From Chris Green on Facebook, on scene of the fire:
“While walking back a lady and young son where packing up and leaving. When walking back to the car the state police were going to all houses on 895 telling them you need to leave now it’s coming up the hill to 895.”
UPDATE: (5:45 PM, Sunday, April 19, 2015)
From Farber on Facebook:
“Please avoid the wildfire area near 895 Bowmanstown (which is also partially closed down anyway), also the 248 side in area of Bowmanstown gun club. Scanner chatter is relaying that spectator traffic (motor and on foot) is becoming a nuisance again. This is a serious situation, and seems to be escalating in the past hour. There are structures in danger once again, and a shortage of water and tankers. Some ppl are attempting to leave their homes per voluntary evac recommendations given. Please keep roadways clear and do not impede what is being done.”
UPDATE: (6:20 PM, Sunday, April 19, 2015)
From Christopher Wolfe and Chrissy Yaworski:
State Route 895 from four corners of Ashfield to Bowmanstown is closed. They are evacuating homes as a precaution.
UPDATE: (6:35 PM, Sunday, April 19, 2015)
Christ Evangelical Free Church is opened up to any families evacuated from the fire.
UPDATE: (7:20 PM, Sunday, April 19, 2015)
From Farber:
“From what I can gather from the scanner…fire is pretty well contained/out. Dispatch read out a long list of engines that are released, including Tamaqua South Ward Brushfire equipment. Also was stated that danger continues and much manpower must remain in case of flare-up. A new flare-up is going on right now by the top of Ashfield by the tower where the fire was previously put out. Please continue good thoughts for rain to arrive quickly and firefighters to remain safe.”
April 19 photos from firefighter Thomas Tweak Nelson:
April 19 video/photos from Bowmanstown Volunteer Fire Company:
April 19 photos from Hill Farms on Facebook:
Click HERE to view April 19 photos via Jake Jackie Adamitis on Facebook.
Click HERE to view April 19 photos via Stacey Smolar Hill on Facebook.
April 18 video/photos courtesy of Anne Correll:
April 18 photos from TamaquaArea.com reporter Kathleen Quinn-Farber:
Click HERE to view a short April 18 video via North End Fire Company on Facebook.
Click HERE to view a short April 18 video via Kayla Hartz on Facebook.
April 18 photo from Schuylkill County Broadcast Facebook page:
April 18 photos from Casey Leone:
April 18 photos from Kayla Hartz:
April 18 photos from Hill Farms on Facebook:
April 18 photos from Tara Schlorf:
April 18 photos from Lisa Marie Eckhart:
April 18 photos from Mykel Postupak:
April 18 photo from Amie Barclay:
April 18 photo from Kathy:
April 18 photos from Kelly Boerner:
April 18 photos from Mary Tamara Irene Begley:
April 18 photo from Angela Jolly:
TamaquaArea.com 
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I was a volunteer on this fire and my hats off to all the ladies and gentleman involved. We couldn’t do this without volunteers , families and the surrounding communities who support us. Fire/ Ems proud !
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