Crews responding to major brush fire on Neversink Mountain near Reading, Pa.
Some residents returned to their homes on Saturday after being asked to evacuate as crews responded to a large wildfire on Neversink Mountain in Reading, Pennsylvania.
The fire was mostly under control by Saturday afternoon but it's still unclear how the fire started. The evacuation order was also lifted.
Neighbors in Reading woke to a terrifying sight.
"I could look across here and you could see 20-foot flames every 100 feet," said Jim Stump.
Fire crews said the wildfire started on the north side of the mountain late Friday night. It was just steps away from some homes and some residents were asked to evacuate to an elementary school.
The American Red Cross Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter has set up a temporary evacuation center for residents at Amanda E. Stout Elementary School at 321 South 10th Street in Reading. Anyone in need of Red Cross assistance should contact 1-800-733-2767.
"I looked out across the street and there were flames that were actually, large flames right up on the mountain, probably about a block or so away from my house," said Marcia Goodman-Hinnershitz.
Images from the Fire Alerts of Berks County Facebook page showed a line of flames along the mountain, which sits to the southeast of Reading and is visible from the iconic Reading Pagoda.
Residents were told to expect a smoke smell and a visible glow on the horizon.
The fire spread across an area of more than 170 acres.
"As soon as I rounded the south end of Mount Penn, I knew it was going to be a long night," said Tom Kemery, Reading fire warden. "The fire was wind-driven, the wind speeds were upwards of 20 miles an hour — there's just no stopping it."
A helicopter dropped several rounds of water as crews on the ground from more than a half dozen agencies came together to fight it.
"Our firefighters, DCNR, our mutual aid firefighters from throughout the county from Geigertown to Blandon helping our Reading firefighters," said Donna Reed, Reading City Council president. "It was an enormous effort."
Fire crews said they plan on continuing to work over the next few days. In the meantime, they're asking people who live near the area to stay back so their vehicles can get in and out.
"Don't come here looking, because we're having vehicles back and forth and we can't afford to slow the access down," said Kemery. "It could be out of control at a moment's notice with a change in the wind."
Reading Mayor Eddie Morán urged residents to avoid Neversink Mountain. The firefighting and mop-up operation from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Forestry division will continue for several more days, he said in a statement.
"This is going to be a major incident with the potential to last over a week," the Birdsboro, Pennsylvania Office of Emergency Management said on Facebook.
Morán thanked the community agencies involved including the fire department and other responders, and the Reading School District.
Read the full statement in English and Spanish on the City of Reading Facebook page.
Maps show smoke from Reading wildfire
Our NEXT Weather radar map from Saturday shows winds were carrying smoke from the fire south. You might also see smoke heading your way if you're south of the Pheasant Run wildfire burning in Glassboro, New Jersey.
Wind directions might shift in the future, so stay with our team for the latest.
The fire broke out as much of the Northeast United States, including the Philadelphia region, deals with elevated fire conditions spurred by severe or even extreme levels of drought. The Philadelphia region has gone 41 days without rain, with Sept. 29 being the last measurable precipitation.
"There have been multiple large brush fires in Southeastern Pennsylvania recently," Birdsboro OEM said. "This is a direct result of the drought conditions. We remain under a burn ban and red flag warning. Fires will readily start from nearly any source and with the winds, will spread rapidly."
Over in New Jersey, the state forest fire service was battling several major wildfires across the state, particularly in South Jersey. In North Jersey, fires in the Palisades spewed smoke across the Hudson River to New York City.
