Brush Fire That Scorched 17 Acres In Solebury Under Investigation

SOLEBURY TOWNSHIP, PA — A brush fire that scorched 17 acres in Solebury Township on Nov. 1 and 2 is under investigation by the state Bureau of Forestry and the Solebury Township Fire Marshal's office.

While the exact cause of the fire has not been determined, investigators said they are confident that the fire was not sparked by the New Hope Railroad, which operates trains through the area.

According to the Solebury Township Police Department, an engineer aboard a New Hope train spotted a small brush fire near the tracks in the area of Lower Mountain Road on Friday, Nov. 1 at 1:15 p.m. and reported it to Bucks County 9-1-1.

Usually part of the North Pole Express, hot chocolate was replaced with water for firefighting. (New Hope Eagle Fire Company)

Police said prior to the arrival of emergency personnel, members of the New Hope Railroad "worked diligently to extinguish the fire." The railroad continued to assist throughout the incident providing a water tanker and other materials, police said.

More than 25 volunteer fire departments from Bucks and Montgomery counties and from New Jersey responded to the fire, which extended over a 17 acre area between Lower Mountain Road, Aquetong Road and Stoney Hill Road. Central Bucks EMS and Solebury Township Police also responded.

Many dead and/or hollow trees had to be dropped in order to extinguish them. (New Hope Eagle Fire Company)

After 24 hours of intense work lugging hoses through the woods, cutting through brush, hitting the flames with hose lines and creating fire breaks by chopping down trees, firefighters extinguished the fire late Saturday afternoon.

Fire officials remind residents that Bucks County is under an open "Burn Ban" through November 25. Open burning is defined as the ignition and subsequent burning of any combustible material (garbage, leaves, grass, twigs, litter, paper, vegetative matter involved with land clearing, or any sort of debris) out-of-doors, either in a burn barrel or on the ground.