Fire wardens from Schuylkill and Carbon counties gathered together at the Owl Creek Reservoir in Tamaqua on Saturday to extinguish any doubts about the importance of fire safety during the 100th anniversary celebration.

Fire wardens have been working in Pennsylvania since 1915. A fire warden is an appointed officer of the state charged with protecting a district of wildlands from fire. Years of training and experience go into the making of a good warden."People take it very seriously," Frank Snyder of the Weiser Forest Fire Warden's Association said. "70 percent of Schuylkill is covered in trees; 60 percent of Pennsylvania is covered in trees. Pennsylvania literally means 'Penn's woods,' " he said.The difference between fire wardens and their crew and a fire company is the derestriction. Wardens put out fire in wild lands or land that is not maintained or cultivated, fire companies work in residential areas. Of course when a fire is too large, everyone comes together to work on the same team, the fires on Blue Mountain or East Penn that occurred during the spring needed both wardens' crews and fire companies' responders.Smokey Bear was on hand for photos with the kids. Cheeseburgers, hot dogs and root beer floats were served to the crowd by the Owl Creek Commission throughout the day.All fire crews gave credit to Mark Bower, the Tamaqua area Fire Chief, for coming up with the idea for the celebration. He was quick to dodge the compliments. "You're only as good as the people under you," he said.Bob Llewellyn, the Ringtown Fire Warden, gave a talk about weather's effect on wildland fire. "Wind speed, temperature and humidity make a big difference in how a fire burns. You have to consider the fuels, topography and weather in how a fire behaves," he said."All the variables can change within minutes, and sometimes it's only seconds to decide on a strategy to put a fire out."Llewellyn said the safest time of day to burn is when the humidity is high."Even though it may feel humid out at 3 p.m., that's really when it's at its lowest," he said. On a typical day, early morning or dusk burning is the safest.Spring and fall are the most dangerous seasons for wildfires."The leaves are off the trees on the forest floor and the trees are dried out," Llewellyn said. With fall just around the corner, people are encouraged to know the weather conditions before lighting a single match."People camping who don't know enough about fire are a big problem," said Jeff Solt, assistant warden of the Lehighton fire crew. It's a federal offense to start a wildfire, and when caught the total of the fine will be the total expenses used to put the fire out."What people don't realize, whether it's an accident or not, if you start the fire, you pay for the expenses," Llewellyn said. "A small brush fire can turn into a catastrophe real quick."How does a crew fight a forest fire? Solt uses many techniques to combat a fire that has gotten out of control."First you have to have a good escape plan in case it gets too out of hand. Then we cut a line, where we take the fuel of the fire away so it snuffs out. We literally cut a line into the earth as fast as we can to contain it. The aircraft will then dump water on the header of the fire. It's a big snuff operation." The header is the hottest point of a fire. Sometimes back burning is a necessary technique. The crew will actually light small fires surrounding what is already burring, the small fires will then burn the fuel source until it meets the fire already in progress. The fires meet and burn up all the fuel that is left, eventually burning out. This technique was used for the 865-acre East Penn fire in April. "Over 70 percent of that was back burning," Solt said.Solt carries a 50-pound backpack into a fire. The pack contains water, an ax, a medium-size chain saw and all the tools need to keep the chain going."Sometimes the chain saw will catch fire. The oil on the chain will burn. We have to pour water onto it to keep it cool." The most important thing in wildfire fighting is having a good crew. "We have to trust each other. Our lives are in each others' hands."How do most fires start? About 47 percent of outdoor fires start with a rubbish fire that gets out of control. Burn barrels need to be safe."A 70-year-old woman was using an old rusted barrel and it got out of control. The woman ended up dying," said George Halderman of Southward Fire Company. "It's also important to check the fire ordinances for your town." Camp fires are also a big cause in wild land fires. "It needs to be soaked, stirred and then soaked again. It should be cool to the touch," Halderman said.