Charges pending against person believed to have intentionally set a fire in Fayette County
Dry conditions continue to cause problems across the region as firefighters work to battle nonstop brush fires.
In Fayette County, State Police told KDKA-TV that charges are pending against a person who is believed to have intentionally set a fire on Thursday.
It happened near Eberly Park in Uniontown.
"We got called, it was about 4:04 in the afternoon for a brush fire behind the ballpark in Oliver. From the time the call came in, we were on scene in eight minutes. There was probably almost two acres burning already," Dylan Wallace said, a firefighter with West Leisenring Fire Department.
He said a man who was seen riding a bicycle in the area is believed to have set the fire.
"They did say there was a male going around on a bicycle lighting fires. We did find a pile of wire there where he was burning copper and stuff," Wallace said.
State police were called in to help track the man down as firefighters battled the fire.
"We did have help from the troopers. They did have their helicopter in the air to try and find them, because previously, right before that, there was somebody on a bicycle that lit another fire in town," Wallace said.
Another fire in New Sewickly Township took the life of an 86-year-old man Thursday.
Police said Charles Flook was burning rubbish when the fire quickly spread into the woods and nearby properties.
Multiple counties have issued burn bans due to the current conditions outside and stress that even a small fire can endanger lives and properties.
"It's very important, especially right now with as dry as it is. No rain, no nothing. They put them bans out, not to be ignorant, they put it out to help you. Look at last week, when 17 acres burnt, almost lost his house. So, obviously property is more important than burning a couple boxes. So that's why we put burn bans in place," Wallace said.
