WESTERN PA. Mercer fire officials issue warning to residents

Fire kept Mercer County departments busy Thursday.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
SHARON, Pa. -- The Mercer County Fire Chiefs Association issued an appeal to county residents today to avoid starting any trash, brush or construction material fires over the next several days.
High winds fanned grass and other fires across the county Thursday and weather conditions are expected to remain mild and windy over the next few days.
Extreme caution should also be used when discarding cigarettes and matches because of dry ground cover.
A series of afternoon fires kept fire departments across much of Mercer County busy Thursday.
A worker using a torch to repair a car at Kress Auto Center at 33 Franklin Road, Mercer, accidentally set fire to gasoline, and the flames spread to the wall and ceiling of the business.
James Minner, Mercer East End fire chief, said that the worker had drained antifreeze from the disabled auto into a plastic pan and that, because of an engine malfunction, gasoline mixed with the antifreeze in the engine.
A spark from a torch ignited the mixture in the pan and the pan melted, allowing the flammable liquid to spread, Minner said.
Workers were able to push the disabled car out of the garage but the structure suffered about $20,000 damage, Minner said.
Owner David Kress suffered a minor arm burn, he said.
Gasoline-sparked fire: In Sharon, a worker's torch ignited gasoline fumes from a wrecked car at Crash Brothers Auto Wrecking at 329 S. Dock St. around 11:35 a.m.
The flames, whipped by high winds, quickly spread to two wrecked vehicles in the Crash Brothers compound and then spread to a pile of tires and a pile of auto parts.
Heavy black smoke filled the downtown area and firefighters said Flowers Lumber Co., located directly downwind from Crash Brothers, suffered some smoke damage.
There were also structure fires reported in Fredonia and New Vernon Township.
Fire officials from both areas were unavailable this morning but the Mercer County 911 Center reported the New Vernon blaze was a barn fire on Irish Ridge Road that broke out around 2:30 p.m.
Fire crews from Sheakleyville, Stoneboro, Sandy Lake, Fredonia and Greenwood Township were called to that scene.