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A wildland fire north of Lake McConaughy that started on Saturday, March 18 and rekindled on Sunday burned nearly 1,000 acres and destroyed 17 structures. 

Area departments assist in fire north of Lake McConaughy that burns nearly 1,000 acres

By Brooke Pankonin

Grant Tribune Sentinel

Grant, Venango, Madrid and Elsie Fire Departments were four of 22 departments that assisted Keystone Lemoyne Fire Department (KLFD) to contain a wildland fire north of Lake McConaughy on Sunday, March 19. 

According to KLFD chief Ralph Moul, the fire rekindled around 11:30 a.m. from a fire the day before due to a cold front with strong winds. 

On Saturday, KLFD was paged at 10:44 p.m for a wildland fire on West Highway 92. Grant, Madrid and five other departments assisted. The fire traveled 4.5 miles before being contained around 2:30 a.m. 

Grant fire chief Don Softley said Grant took 10 firefighters in two trucks and a command vehicle after being called at 11:47 p.m. to assist and arrived home at approximately 8 a.m. Sunday. They were called back out around noon and took 11 firefighters in two trucks and a command vehicle. They arrived back in Grant after 8 p.m.

Moul said he called in the state’s Wildland Incident Response and Assistance Team to assist with planning and logistics, and to help put together the next operational period as they knew they would have to bring in contingency resources to relieve men who had been out all night Saturday and all day Sunday. 

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