All evacuated Cumberland County residents can return home; authorities

CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) — The Cumberland County Department of Public Safety announced today that the remaining residents who were evacuated due to the Michaux State Forest fires can return to their homes if they choose to do so.

“Residents have received detailed travel guidance to access their properties,” said Robert Shively Jr., the Director of Public Safety for Cumberland County. “We want to reassure the community that structural firefighting crews and equipment will remain on site near their homes as a precaution to help ensure everyone’s safety.”

The Department extends a “heartfelt thank you” to all of the affected residents for their patience and support in assisting with their response. Some short-term, temporary road closures may occur as trees are continuing to be felled as part of the response efforts, per the Department of Public Safety.

According to the DCNR, the Thompson Hollow Fire, which had spread 2,248 acres as of Sunday, was 33% contained as of Saturday night. The other major fire in the area, the Hammond’s Rock fire, is now 69% contained after it grew to 497 acres on Sunday.

“We are fully committed to stopping these wildfires and preventing further damage to Michaux State Forest and surrounding areas,” said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn in a statement released at 7:30 p.m. Sunday evening. “The fire is a serious threat, but thanks to our dedicated team of wildland firefighters, foresters, rangers, local responders, and volunteers, we are making progress in controlling it.”

This is a developing story. Stay with abc27 News as more information becomes available


Discover more from RSS Feeds Cloud

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Discover more from RSS Feeds Cloud

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading