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Article by: Janel Spiegel
The Community Showed Up with Donations to help the Firefighters.
Today was an incredibly eye-opening experience. My friend Colleen Jones texted me about the fire at Blue Mountain. I drove up to help out however I could. I was born and raised in the Lehigh Valley. I watched Colleen load up and get ready as usual for another intense fire. Colleen’s two sons Trey and Jayce are part of the Whitehall Fire Department. Trey and Jayce (I also met Tyler, who is also a firefighter. He spent most of the night, and all day up in the woods helping.) are always prepared, always ready to go, and always ready to help anyone that needs help.
I cannot genuinely describe or explain today except I watched my friend gather up as much as one human could possibly gather, and we “rallied our crew,” and of course everyone showed up. I do think Colleen may secretly be a superhero but, I will say she is a good soul in this wild world of ours. I helped however I could, including posting what was needed for the firefighters on social media. Sometimes I don’t think people realize how much goes into all of this and putting a fire out. I watched my friend’s son, just weeks ago jump out of the truck as we went on a fire call, and he was checking the hoses, and the lines. This is a 14-year-old mind you. Most grownups wouldn’t do this. Fire departments, and the community came together, and dropped off cases of water, Gatorade, Egypt Star Bakery delivered donuts, pizzas were delivered, food and snacks. Colleen, myself, and her sons went to Wal-Mart in Lehighton, and we gathered all the supplies we could from donations from a lot of our friends and people.
People also dropped off donations to Colleen’s home. I watched for hours as firefighters from all over, police officers, volunteers, people from all over just worked from last night into the morning, and then throughout the day. Many of the firefighters were up in the woods all day, and into the evening. Colleen and many volunteers began the transport to bring some of the firefighters down the mountain, and then more firefighters would be making their way up the mountain. In the midst of this, our dear friend Wisteria Dawn’s home burned down. They lost everything. Wisteria and her partner Shawn got out with their kids, and dogs. I am including the also. Hours later, as the Blue Mountain brush fire continued on, a brush fire in Reading, Pa near the Pagoda started.
The “command station” was located at The Lehigh Township Police Department. They made sure to take care of every single person that walked through the doors. The firefighters, police officers, volunteers. They tried to keep the atmosphere as firefighters were coming and going. Grabbing snacks, drinks, taking breaks, which didn’t last long.
It felt as if they walked in, grabbed what they needed, and headed back towards danger that most of us would probably not go near. The Bureau of Foresty was on the scene. As the firefighters battled Blue Mountain, calls came in for fires around the Lehigh Valley, and then of course in Berks County, the brush fire near the Pagoda.
The Lehighton Fire Department, Palmerton, Bowmanstown, and Slatington were all helping out. Lehigh Valley came together, and brought everything from ChapStick, Advil, Gatorade, water, food, snacks, blankets. You name it, the community brought it. I spoke with a few different people including firefighters who said this fire is quite a battle, and it may go on for days.
They also asked that people be safe. The fire spread to 150 acres. I included some of the links to keep an eye out if they would need help or more donations. It was overwhelming and emotional watching the Whitehall Township Fire Department huddled together, and then head up to the mountain. To see the community come together as a force of nature. It gives you hope. Please be safe out there, and thank you to every single firefighter, EMS, Police officers, K-9’s, the volunteers. (I know my relatives worked in law enforcement and they were involved in the Lehigh Valley with the fire department.)
Stay safe everyone.
https://www.lehightonfire.com/
https://www.lehightownship.com/police_about.html
https://www.readingpa.gov/about-reading-fire-department
https://whitehalltownshipfire.org/
https://www.coplayborough.org/fire.html
