NORTHERN PIEDMONT FIRE

 

History of Crew

The Northern Piedmont Forest Fire Crew started out of the Kimberton Fire Company - Station 61 in 1995 located in Kimberton, Chester County- Pennsylvania. The crew was started by forest fire warden Darin Groff. Darin's Dad was also a Warden in the area for over 25 year and had one of the first organized crews in Forest District #17.

 

 

Fire Crew Call-up's

History

1996

October 31, 2006 - Neversink Mt - Reading - 40 acres

1997

March 16, 1997 - Valley Forge National Park - Valley Forge - 30 acres

April 16-18, 1997 - Sproul State Forest - Leaning Pine Fire - Renovo - 180 acres

1998

July 29-30, 1998 - Upper Bear Island - Dumore Township, Lancaster County - 4 acres

September 21, 1998 - Pinicle Overlook - Martic Twp, Lancaster County - 2 acres

September 12-20, 1998 - Pinnacle Overlook - Martic Twp,  Lancaster County - 60 acres

December 4-5, 1998 - Mapleton / Barney Fires - Huntingdon County - 500 acres

1999

March 19, 1999 - Upper Providence Twp,  Montgomery County - 2.5 acres

March 31, 1999 - Snyder Fire - Milford, Pike County - 589 acres

July 8, 1999 - Upper Uwchlan Twp, Chester County - 15 acres

August 8, 1999 Chestnut Island - Drumore Twp, Lancaster County - 5 acres

November 17, 1999 - Butler Twp, Schuylkill County - 110 acres

November 14, 1999 - Mt Penn - Berks County - 50 acres

November 15, 1999 - Neversink Mt - Berks County - 8 acres

2000

March 6, 2000 - Phoenixville Boro, Chester County - 2 acres

April 9, 2000 - South Coventry Twp, Chester County - 2.5 acres

2001

April 28 - Uwchlan Twp - Chester County - 4 acres

May 6 - Newlin Twp - Chester County - 5 acres

May 14, -Reading City - Mt Penn - Berks County - 8 acres

May 15 - East Nottingham Twp - Chester County - 15 acres

July 22 - West Nottingham Twp - Chester County - 1.5 acres

September 8 - East Vincent Twp - Chester County - 3.5 acres

September 9 - Fulton Twp - Lancaster County - 5 acres

November 5 - Rush Twp - Daupin County - 80 acres

November 9 - Highland Twp - Chester County - 8 acres

November 9 -South Coatsville - Chester County - 2.5 acres

November 10 - East Nantmeal Twp - Chester County - 2.5 acres

2002

August 2 - South Coventry Twp - Chester County - .5 acre

August 11 - Phoenixville Boro - Chester County - 2 acres

2003

None - due too a very wet year

2004

February 29 - Lower Providence Twp. - Montgomery County - 2.5 acres

April 10 - North Coventry Twp. - Chester County - 18 acres

November 1 - East Vincent Twp - Chester County - 2 acres

2005

May 19 - Phoenixville Boro - Chester County - 1 acre

2006

March 14 - Martic Twp. Lancaster County - 12.5 acres

March 19 - West Vincent Twp. Chester County - 1 acre

March 31 - East Brandywine Twp. - Chester County - 8 acres

April 1 - Caln Twp. - Chester County - 1 acre

April 10 - Upper Uwchlan Twp. - Chester County - 2 acres

May 9-12th - Bear Trap Fire - Sproul State Forest, Renova - Clinton County -1,450 acres

 

                

Purpose of Crew:

To provide additional manpower to Pennsylvania DCNR Bureau of Forestry and in particuar the District Forest Fire Warden, for the purpose of wildfire suppression, training, fire prevention, and other emergency incidents.

• The Fire Crew is lead by Forest Fire Warden Darin Groff (Warden 17-9) and Asstiant Forest Fire Warden Wayne Martin.
• The Northern Piedmont Forest Fire Crew consist of wildland firefighter from many fire comanies in the Chester Springs area like Kimberton, Phoenixville, Lionville, Ridge, 1st of West Chester. Also many crew members are not affilleated with any fire companies and only fight wildland fire or help to complete prescribed burns.
• All crew members are trained to a state and/or federal levels as a wildland firefighter. This includes courses: I-100, IS-700, L-180, PA-130/S-130, and S-190. 
• Many crew members are Red Carded at FFT1 / FFT2 Levels  or higher and have additional training courses (Skills) like, S-211, S-212, S-234, S-290 and many others
• The primary response area for our crew is in Pennsylvania Forest District # 17, which includes the following counties: Chester, Berks, Lancaster, Montgomery, Delaware, Philadelphia, Bucks, Lehigh and North Hampton.
• Our crew can be called-up to respond anywhere in the Commonwealth if needed as an Advanced Wardens Crew.

 

 

On April 26-27, 2009 District #17 sent a 20 men crew to the Penobscot Fire mile north of Mountain Top. This fire burned 2,126 acres in mix Oak stand and Shrub Oak on Penobscot Mountain. We cut over 2 miles of handline and burned out. We were supported by air support tanker 489, D-6 Dozer and a type 6 / type 4 engines

Crew member digging handline

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Here is a shot of a fire we fought on the Wayne National Forest in Ohio in November 2008. This fire burned about 20 acre. We cut handline and burned out the left flank and remained on the fire moping-up until dark.

                                  Smoke rising off the ridge

 

Here is a couple of shots from Chester, Califorina. I was on the Cub Complex as a STCR(T) with two fires totaling little over 19,000 acres

 

Here is a couple of shots from the Bull Run Fire April 2008. The Type 3 Team - BOF was call to help with this large fire. This fire was 2,200 acres when I arrived. We burn out over 4 miles of road and trails. The fire threaten many cabins in the area. This fire was just west of the Pine Creek Gorge and the ICP was located in Cedar Run at the Rattle Snake Rock parking area. I was the Divison A Supervisor. In the end, the fire burned about 3,821 acres.

Back-firing along a forest road

Fire Warden from District 7 on Divison A

This fire was in Pike Township - Berks County in 2007. The fire start by the landowner burning off dry grass in his lawn. The fire spread from the lawn too a shed and up the mountain. We cut handline and burned out the right flank and head of the fire. We also were supported by four air drops by a S.E.A.T. The fire overall burned about 25 acres of woodland.

                

S.E.A.T drop a load on the top of the right flank where the fire had jumped the handline

                

Northern Piedmont's handcrew digging handline on the right flank

                

Crew member holding the fire line

                

Forest Fire Warden Darin Groff burning out the fuels along the handline as the fire approches.

 

Here is a few shots of the one of larger fires. The Bear Trap fire on May 6-10, 2006 in Renovo, Pa. It burned about 1450 acres in the Fishing Dam Wild Area in the Sproul State forest. We send two different crew up from our Forest District #17 to assist on the fire. The crew cut hand-line, burned out and mopped-up. the crew were assisted by a dozer, air support and brush units.

Here is a shot of the fire backing down into the Fishing Creek drainage first thing in the morning

The crew is finished up firing along the hand line down Stillmans Hollow out to Route 120.