Speaking Saturday afternoon while at the scene of the 150-acre fire, Bickel said fire suppression efforts included making a box around the blaze using existing roads and a bulldozer to clear the line.

“We have some of the best people in the state here today, doing what they do best,” said Bickel, who has years of experience in fighting forest fires and is a member of the Moshannon Forest District Firefighters.

The next step, he said, is to determine if firefighters are going to back burn from the box lines to the fire or let the fire burn to the line and burn itself out.

The determining factor would be the wind and the speed of the fire itself and he expected a determination to be made late Saturday afternoon.

A visitor at Canoe Creek State Park stops to take a photo of the Huntingdon Pike Fire on Saturday afternoon. (Mirror photo by Holly Claycomb)

“We have rains coming tomorrow,” Bickel said. “We want to try to get this fire out.”

The steep terrain atop of the mountain overlooking Canoe Creek State Park was a factor in fighting the fire, he said. A helicopter was called in to drop water as going after the fire in the dark Friday night and early Saturday morning was dangerous.

“We have to be careful,” he said, noting that one UTV did rollover Friday night, but there were no injuries. On Saturday, about three firefighters were treated for minor injuries, including blisters, he said.

While all efforts went into putting out the flames and to stop the fire from spreading, Bickel said the smoke would probably linger for a few more days.

Smoke created a haze as it drifted over the Frankstown and Geeseytown areas Saturday afternoon, but due to winds from west and southwest, Bickel said most of the smoke was going back over the gamelands where the fire originated and was contained.

A couple walk their dog at Canoe Creek State Park as the Huntingdon Pike Fire burns in the background on Saturday afternoon. (Mirror photo by Holly Claycomb)

He did note, though, that Saturday’s mild weather helped the smoke rise, but as the evening turned cooler, the cold air would bring the smoke back down.

“You might have smoke for a while,” he said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, with two investigators on scene as part of the fire suppression efforts Saturday, Bickel said.

Without speculating on a source of the fire, he said there are 14 different categories of wildfire cause and investigators will work to eliminate each as their probe continues.

The dry fall weather has kept regional firefighters busy, he said.

Visitors at Canoe Creek State Park stop to watch the Huntingdon Pike Fire on Saturday afternoon. (Mirror photo by Holly Claycomb)

“We have a severe drought, together with dry leaves, wind and the sun baking the ground,” all factors that lead to wildfires, he said.

“We need the public’s help in preventing these fires and to report any you see,” Bickel said.

He also took the time to thank the many volunteer firefighters who turned out to help, as well as local concession trucks that donated food and drinks to those working on the fire.

“We thank the community for that, that’s heartwarming,” he said.

When asked how long firefighters would be at the scene, Bickel said they’ll see how the fireline holds and look to the sky for the promised rain. The plan is to keep an eye on the area to make sure it is completely extinguished.

“We got this,” he said. “Things are looking really good. … We’re going to try to button it up tonight.”