Forest Fire at Atsion

[Teegate]

If you walk up onto the hill at Atsion in the field you can now visit the almost impossible Reference Mark for Atsion. This has been covered up with briers and mulch for years. There is another one so look for the one that says N0 1. The station with the triangle is at the very top of the hill and NO2 is along the very edge of the burned area.

The fire. You can see it still smoldering this morning

 

[Don Catts]

A few more photos of the fire to go along with Guy's photos.

This is where the fire started, on the north side of QBR at the tracks. There were two hot spots one on each side of the tracks.

Quaker Bridge Rd, north side burnt, south side green

Graveyard side of the church (east side)

West side of church. Fire went west only to the Wesickaman Creek

 

[MikeBickerson]

Wow, that got really close to the church. From the pictures, it looks like the burn area is on all sides of the church except the road, is that right?

 

[Don Catts]

That's right Mike, it burnt all around the church. The road in picture 4 is actually the entrance to the church off QBR. The Indian Mills Fire Co. was stationed at the church to protect it.

 

[MikeBickerson]

Well done to them, it couldn't have been an easy task.

 

[Don Catts]

I think they did an outstanding job fighting this fire. Considering they had heavy wind and very dry conditions and still got it under control quickly. Now the only thing left to do is find the CLOWN that did this and beat the bozo out of him.

 

[bobpbx]

I would guess that they set a backfire at the church to protect it.

 

[46er]

The last picture that shows part of the church, is a good example of the 100 foot rule.

 

[manumuskin]

Wesickaman creek is west of 206. Are you speaking of the little stream that runs into MUllica between the Atsion church and the Ranger Station?

 

[Don Catts]

Wesickaman creek is west of 206. Are you speaking of the little stream that runs into MUllica between the Atsion church and the Ranger Station?

Yeah Al, that little creek next to the church is the Wesickaman, the same one you stepped through the ice last winter.

 

[Don Catts]

I would guess that they set a backfire at the church to protect it.

That is correct Bob, they did back fire at the church

 

[1Jerseydevil]

I would guess that they set a backfire at the church to protect it.

Can't say for sure but I'd say looking at the extent and height of the burns pictured are backfires.

 

[Teegate]

I would bet the burned area where I was is a backfire. The briers were not burnt. I guess I should have expected that.

 

[Don Catts]

Guy,
If there are any old stones in the burned out area they should be easy to find now. Maybe some fruitland plots.

 

[Teegate]

There may just be. As of yet I am uncertain of the area's that burned and will have to go out and find out. I was doing that Sunday but had limited time. However, I am uncertain where many of them were and pretty much have found all of the stones that I know of. But there are monuments I want to find that were placed on the corners when Wharton was originally purchased. The fire will indeed help me with that.

 

[Teegate]

Did the area by the stone bridge on Quaker Bridge Road burn?

 

[Don Catts]

I don't think so. They say it stopped short of the firing range.

 

[Teegate]

There are places before the firing range that have monuments and a few stones so I need to get out there. I will try and get there this weekend.

 

[smoke_jumper]

The fire did burn past the stone bridge on Quaker Bridge Rd. I drove down and everything was burnt right after the bridge to the next rd which connects to stokes rd and followed that back to Hampton Rd. I didn't think it went down that far at first.

 

[SuperChooch]

The sunset that night was pretty cool due to the smoke. Here is a shot I got in Tabernacle.