Girard Township, PA – Overnight, crews were dispatched again to the area around 9000 Tannery Road due to reports of a rekindle at the previous Tannery Road brush fire. 541 arrived on scene, confirmed the reports, and called for additional support from Lake City, Springfield, and Platea. The rekindled fire was located approximately 200-300 yards off the access road being used by crews. 541 informed incoming units that roughly 1.5-2 acres were actively burning, with flames spreading rapidly. Two additional tankers were requested, including units from Platea and Franklin Township.

As brush trucks arrived, crews moved quickly to establish a fireline around the active burn area using forestry rakes and backpack leaf blowers, successfully cutting off the fire’s fuel source and allowing it to burn out. Multiple forestry lines, stretching several hundred feet, were deployed through the woods to address hotspots throughout the burned area. Crews observed that the fire had spread from a valley area to the location of the previous burn site.

Due to the topography of the area, crews were unable to create an effective fireline by means of physical interactions with the environment. Fire crews instead constructed a fireline further ahead of the advancing flames and conducted a controlled backburn, reinforcing the fireline and reducing fuel in the area. This combination of controlled fire use, preemptive firelines, and backburning helped firefighters manage key aspects of the wildfire, including heat, flame intensity, and spread direction. The use of fire, allowed crews to remove fuel from the area in a controlled manner. The use of controlled burns, backburning, and firelines is a common and effective strategy in wildfire management.

Assisting A.F. Dobler Hose & Ladder Co. on scene included the support of Lake City Fire Company, Springfield Vol. Fire Dept., Platea Volunteer Fire Company, and Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Department. Members of the Crawford Erie County Wildlands Crew were on scene.