Smoke in Centre County skies due to controlled burn on state game lands
Smoke from a controlled burn in the Scotia Game Lands on Wednesday has prompted a smoke advisory from Centre County’s emergency communications department.
The burn, conducted in the game lands southwest of State College, is one of several occurring across Central Pennsylvania Wednesday to shore up the forests against wildfires.
In a Facebook post, Centre County 911 warned of smoke as far east as Milesburg. Skies near Philipsburg were hazy Wednesday afternoon, though air quality monitors said conditions were good throughout the county around 2 p.m.
The emergency communications department asked Bald Eagle Valley residents who might be sensitive to smoke to close their windows and stay inside. The department also asked residents to not call 911 about smoke from the burn.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission confirmed that the Scotia shooting range is opened and that crews were finishing up with the burn around 2:45 p.m. Wednesday.
This story was originally published April 8, 2026 at 2:45 PM.
