Smoke, flames may be visible in Bellefonte area Saturday as firefighters train
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- Bellefonte firefighters will conduct controlled burns at 116 Paradise Road on Saturday.
- Training exercises will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and produce visible smoke.
- A portion of Paradise Road will be restricted to one lane starting at 7 a.m.
A series of controlled burns along Benner Pike this weekend will help train Bellefonte firefighters.
The Bellefonte Fire Department will systematically light fires at the structure at 116 Paradise Road in Benner Township on Saturday to help train its volunteer firefighters, the Undine Fire Company said. The exercises, scheduled from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., will produce visible fire and smoke in the area.
“This training is extremely beneficial for firefighters and better prepares them for when structural fires do occur,” the Undine Fire Company wrote online.
To accommodate the training exercises, a portion of Paradise Road will be restricted to one lane starting at 7 a.m. on Saturday. This will allow crews to place a fire apparatus on the premises, the Undine Fire Company said.
Fire police personnel will help direct traffic in the area while lanes are restricted. Instructors from the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy will also be on the scene to supervise the training exercises, which have already received proper permits and permissions.
The property at 116 Paradise Road once belonged to the Rockview state prison before Centre County’s Industrial Development Authority acquired it in 2022 and later sold it to a private LLC. Early discussions to construct an Arby’s fast-casual restaurant there, which seem to have fallen apart since surfacing in 2024, would have called for the demolition of the unoccupied home on the property.
Development near the Paradise Road property has boomed in recent years thanks significant work along Benner Pike. The Paradise Shopping Center is now home to a Giant, McDonald’s and a Chipotle, while Wawa works to construct a gas station and convenience store across the street from a recently remodeled Sheetz. Additionally, the Tru by Hilton and Avid Hotels/Candlewood Suites hotels opened along Benner Pike within the last year.
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