A wildfire sweeping through Lehighton and Jim Thorpe wooded areas has now consumed 600 acres, a DCNR spokesman said Sunday night.

Jake Novitsky, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources fire forester, said because of the dry conditions and the lack of rain in the forecast, he expects it will take a week to totally extinguish the fire.

The fire started about 3 p.m. Saturday near the D & L trail down from the Perch Restaurant in Mahoning Township.

It spread through to Jim Thorpe and the area of Long Run Road in Franklin Township.

Novitsky said no structures have been damaged, but the blaze has crept within 100 yards of houses.

Volunteer firefighters have been on scene since Saturday staging near the Jim Thorpe market, Long Run Road in Franklin Township and the Mauch Chunk fire tower near Penn’s Peak.

The last two days, helicopters from DCNR were dumping buckets of water onto the blaze. The water drops will stop for the night. People will remain on scene cleaning up the lines and protecting structures.

Novitsky said at any time there were 80 to 100 people fighting the blaze.

“All the volunteer firefighters did an excellent job,” Novitsky said.

It’s difficult to contain. “We’re having a lot of trouble with the terrain,” Novitsky said, “The weather is fighting us. It’s pretty dry and hard to contain.”

Flagstaff and Long Run roads were closed for a time Sunday. The roads are open now.

On Monday morning, airdrops will resume, with a team from Harrisburg coming to help.

The origin of the fire is under investigation, he said.