Firefighters are battling a brush fire that continues to spread through Berks County, Pennsylvania.
The fire started around 11:30 p.m. Friday on the Neversink Mountain in Reading. Smoke could be seen and smelled for miles as a ring of fire outlined the edges of the mountain.
Around 100 homes are located near the area of the fire. Residents who lived nearby were evacuated to the Amanda E. Stout Elementary School on 321 South 10th Street in Reading. NBC10 spoke with one woman who remained at her home despite the evacuation order.
“If it gets close where it’s going to jeopardize my granddaughter and our life I will but it’s just not fair,” the woman said. “It’s not fair.”
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Officials told NBC10 Saturday morning that the fire is not an immediate threat to any of the homes and the residents who were evacuated were allowed to return. A burn ban is in effect for Berks County.
A responding firefighter suffered a minor injury. No other injuries have been reported.
"The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Forestry division will lead the firefighting and mop-up operation, expected to continue for several days, coordinating any additional resources required," Reading Mayor Eddie Morán wrote in a statement. "We are asking residents to not access Neversink Mountain in or around Reading for any purpose."
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The windy and dry conditions as well as the terrain initially made it difficult for firefighters to battle the flames and smoke. By late Saturday morning, the winds started to die down, officials said.
As of Saturday evening, the fire has burned around 170 acres, according to State Fire Warden Tom Kemery. It is 30% contained.
Multiple wildfires have been burning across the region with at least four in New Jersey within the past week. The fires have stretched from the Philadelphia suburbs to the Pinelands in the central and western parts of the state to the New York City suburbs.
Experts recommend clearing away combustible materials – including dead shrubbery, leaves, firewood, pine needles and leaves – in order to protect your home from wildfires.
