More than a dozen fire departments extinguish 2-alarm blaze outside Bellefonte. What we know

More than a dozen fire companies extinguished a building fire and surrounding wildfire Friday outside the Bellefonte area in Walker Township, as one official estimated that more than 10 acres burned down.

There were no injuries during the roughly four-hour blaze, Walker Township Fire Captain Kris Little said. Two buildings that Little referred to as “wood shops” suffered damage in the 100 block of Chapelwood Lane, but the nearest house — which was aside the burning buildings — experienced only “minor smoke damage, no water damage.”

The cause of the fire wasn’t immediately known, and it wasn’t known if the fire started in the densely wooded area before spreading to the buildings, or vice versa.

Fire companies began responding just before 2 p.m. Friday. An hour later, smoke was visible from more than 5 miles away as much of the hillside was covered in smoke. Although at least a dozen fire companies from Centre County responded, fire departments from multiple counties also provided mutual aid — including those from Clearfield, Clinton, Huntingdon and Union counties. Others were placed on standby.

The fire was under control by about 6 p.m., and most fire trucks had left the scene by 7 p.m.

Part of the reason for the large response, Little said, was because the fire occurred in an isolated area with limited access to water. The burning buildings were located on a hillside, at the end of a long driveway, so more tankers were needed to extinguish the blaze.

Due to dry and windy conditions, part of Centre County — and much of Pennsylvania — was under a fire weather watch for much of Friday. According to the National Weather Service, those conditions can lead to “increased risk for rapid wildfire growth and spread.”

Little said he did not know the cause of the fire. But he wanted to remind residents: “Just to reiterate, don’t be outside burning. That’s a prime example of how fast it can go.”

According to public emergency services information, among those involved from Centre County — including responding, providing mutual aid or being put on standby — included Walker Township Fire Company, Logan (Bellefonte) Fire Company, Undine (Bellefonte) Fire Company, Howard Volunteer Fire Company, Pleasant Gap Fire Company, Alpha Fire Company, Boalsburg Fire Company, Snow Shoe Fire Company, Gregg Township Fire Company, Port Matilda Fire Company, Pine Glen Fire Company, Miles Township Fire Company, Philipsburg Fire Company, Centre Hall Fire Company and Millheim Fire Company.

This story was originally published November 1, 2024 at 4:05 PM.