Brush Fires Catch Across Chesco Sunday As Alert Remains

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — Crews from five counties battled brush and barn fires across Chester County Sunday, as high winds and low humidity created dangerous conditions, and an alert remained in place for Monday.

Malvern Fire Company had to haul in water tanks to put out a barn and brush fire early Sunday afternoon in Pocopson Township, one of several fires across Chester County yesterday amid 'red flag' conditions perfect for outdoor fires to spread.

The mid-Atlantic region into southcentral Pennsylvania was under the red flag warning yesterday as winds gusted at 30-40 miles per hour and the National Weather Service warned against outdoor burning and discarding lit cigarette butts. The warning area included all of Delaware, New Jersey, and Maryland, and a huge swath of southeastern Pennsylvania.

The greatest threat of fires spreading was through the daytime on Sunday, but NWS extended the warning into Monday, stating low humidity and windy conditions meant elevated to critical alerts.

Kennett Fire Company No. 1 reported crews at "multiple large fires" on Sunday.

Humidity was as low as 20 percent on Sunday, and remained below 40 percent through Sunday night, the National Weather Service reported.

Malvern Fire Company reported sending a tanker out at 11:54 a.m. Sunday to assist Longwood firefighters at the barn fire. As tank trucks arrive, a team set up an extra dump tank for water supply to douse the fire.

Kennett Fire Company No. 1 reported units from five counties worked covering two major fires and multiple brush fires within 5 miles of each other along Wawaset Road in Pocopson Township just before noon.

Crews operated for several hours and Malvern Fire Company Rescue 49 pumped 180,000 gallons of water to the scene in Pocopson, the company reported.

Kennett Fire Company reported all Southern Chester County departments worked to put out fires in outbuildings at a mushroom house in the 1600 block of Newark Road in West Marlborough Township. Crews were dispatched just before 11 a.m. Sunday, as a large brush fire spread at the scene.

Just before 2 p.m., a brush fire was reported "out of control" in the 2200 block of Brinton Bridge Road in Pocopson Township.

At 3:23 p.m. another brush fire broke out in the 900 block of Westtown Road. Wires were reported down in Westtown Township, as well, fire officials reported.