Southern York County Forest Fire Crew

05/27/2026

05/08/2026

04/22/2026

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group is celebrating 50 years of service as the standard-setting leader in wildland fire operations, marking five decades of interagency cooperation since its founding in 1976. 🔥

To commemorate this milestone, NWCG has released a commemorative video showcasing its history of providing national leadership in training, equipment, and incident management standards.

Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnQpLZ69T0w&t=13s

04/21/2026

April 20, 1997 - LODD
Pilot/Firefighter Walter John Hirth, Jr., 45
Co-Pilot William W. Babka, 34
Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry. Blandburg, PA
On April 20, 1997, John Hirth and William Babka, flying a PV2 (B26) Tanker 38, were dropping water on a forest fire started by an unattended campfire. After leveling for the drop, the aircraft was affected by a downdraft from wind gusts. Winds were gusting to 18 knots (21 mph). Terrain was mountainous and smoke from the fire had an impact on visibility. One wing impacted trees and the airplane stripped off the tops of trees for approximately 100 feet before coming to rest. The crew did not survive.

Photo: Co-Pilot William W. Babka

04/17/2026

04/07/2026

Park staff will conduct a prescribed fire at Little Round Top and Munshower Field, weather permitting, tomorrow, April 8. To ensure visitor and firefighter safety, multiple roads and trails will be closed and will remain closed until all safety protocols are met. Visit our website for full details: https://go.nps.gov/LRT2026RxFire.

04/03/2026