A. Wildfire burns for the fourth day in a row At Blue Mountain in Lehigh Gap, it has more than tripled in size in the last 24 hours.

Officials say 577 acres have burned and dry conditions have made it difficult to control the flames.

Wesley Robinson, press spokesman for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said the fire was only 25 percent under control. lehighvalleylive.com Tuesday afternoon.

Authorities reported that by noon on Monday, 180 acres of the mountain had burned and about 20% of the fire was under control.

Multiple agencies continue to work day and night to fight the fire that started near Route 248 on Saturday. Lehigh County. The fire was first reported at 3:38 p.m. east of the gap eroded by the Lehigh River into the Blue Mountain’s Kittatinny Ridge.

Responders included regional firefighters from Lehigh Township Volunteer Fire Co. and mutual aid departments, the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry and the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Northampton County Emergency Management is also assisting at the scene.

A firefighter injured Monday was taken to an area hospital for treatment and has since been released, said Bob Kurilla, a spokesman for the bureau, which is part of the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. No other injuries were reported.

Incident commander Jeremy Hamilton posted on social media Monday evening that the fire activity was creating some challenges for resources on the field. Crews based along the Appalachian Trail were able to keep the flames from crossing the northward ridge near Carbon County. Others were able to stop the spread eastward via Timberline Road, he said.

“There will still be days of hard work to secure the perimeter and extinguish hot spots,” Hamilton said.

The Appalachian Trail through the area remains closed to the public.

Burning bans temporarily entered into force in some districts. Visitors are asked to stay away from the fire scene due to hot spots and the risk of falling trees. Hamilton said the threat to residences off Timberline Road has diminished.

“People will still see glowing trees and indoor activities,” he added. “Smoke will still be present for the foreseeable future. Personnel will remain on site in working and monitoring conditions.”

Kurilla told lehighvalleylive.com that crews are expected to remain on scene for at least the rest of the week if dry conditions fail to provide a “good soak.”

National Weather Service The company continues to predict higher temperatures this week, with highs in the upper 70s on Wednesday, with winds as high as 10 mph in the Walnutport area and gusts as high as 20 mph.

Forecasters say there’s a 20% chance of showers before 1pm on Wednesday, following mostly clear skies on Monday and Tuesday. According to forecasts, the next chance of showers in the region is on Sunday.

Authorities are using bulldozers to dig up highly flammable organic material around the flames to prevent the flames from advancing. Kurilla described this as the “clearing” phase, meaning officials do not expect the flames to progress any further, even though they are only 25% contained.

“Obstacles,” Kurilla said, are interrupted. These dead trees could send burning embers across control lines, he said.

“It’s best to leave them on the ground,” Kurilla said.

Additionally, two helicopters dumped hundreds of gallons of water from the Lehigh River onto the edge of the fire, Kurilla said.

No structure was damaged in the fire. But eight structures where crews were assigned to protect them were listed as at risk of fire, officials said.

Blue Mountain Ski Resort in Palmerton is about four miles from the wildfire Posted on Facebook page Pumps and water retention basins will be used to assist in filling fire tankers.

Great Northern Lehigh Chamber also started a fundraiser With support from the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce to benefit local volunteer fire departments and emergency responders.

The starting point and cause of the fire could not be determined. Kurilla believes both will be determined at some point.

99% of wildfires in Pennsylvania are caused by human activitiesIt results in the loss of thousands of acres of public and private forests each year, according to DCNR.

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Pamela Sroka-Holzmann can be reached at: [email protected].