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After battling a wildfire on Blue Mountain, the Lehigh Township Volunteer Fire Department is giving back to the community by distributing donated food and supplies. The firefighters received an "overwhelming" amount of non-perishable food and supplies while fighting the blaze, which burned nearly 200 acres. Now that the fire is out, the department is inviting residents to come to the fire station on Saturday afternoon to fill a bag with food to take home. The giveaway will be from three-to-six at the fire station.
The wildfire, which started on November 2, 2024, was a significant challenge for the firefighters. The fire was only 20% contained as of Monday, November 4, and required the efforts of hundreds of local and state firefighters, as well as air support from helicopters dropping water from the adjacent Lehigh River. Despite the challenging conditions, there were no immediate reports of injuries, and eight structures were listed as threatened by the fire with crews assigned to protect them according to lehighvalleylive.com.
The community's support during the firefighting efforts was remarkable. Donations of food, water, and other supplies poured into the Lehigh Township municipal building, where a command center was established. The Greater Northern Lehigh Chamber and the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce also launched an emergency fundraiser to support the volunteer fire departments and emergency crews fighting the blaze according to mcall.com.