DERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Authorities said they suspect a large brush fire Tuesday in Westmoreland County was started when someone dumped hot ash from a fireplace in the woods.
Channel 11's Joe Holden reported the fire started in the area of routes 981 and 22 in Derry Township.
Investigators said the fire spread through leaves, brush and debris for more than 100 acres.
“It obviously spread over 100 acres from just what this side shows,” said Bradenville Fire Capt. Justin Horrell. “We obviously don’t want to get it down into the park because that’s a lot of unkept land. There are cabins and buildings in Keystone Park adjacent to this.”
The fire also came dangerously close to some homes.
“You couldn’t see the skyline or anything,” said Danielle Tunstall, who lives in the area.
Tunstall said when she opened her front door Tuesday afternoon all she could see was a wall of fire creeping up the hillside.
“It looked like the entire woods were engulfed to me. It was humongous,” she said.
Flames eventually reached a shed and destroyed it before crews could get the fire under control.