Morning Roundup: Elevated risk of wildfire spread Friday as cold front moves into Pittsburgh region
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, April 21, 2023:
Dry conditions create elevated fire risk as cold front moves in Friday
The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh issued a special weather statement Friday for an elevated risk of wildfire for the western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia regions.
The forecast for Friday calls for sustained wind gusts that will range from 10 to 20 mph, with gusts of up to 25 mph possible, especially for higher elevations.
The higher winds are expected to begin around 11 a.m. and will continue until 7 p.m.
“We have been very dry the last four days. There’s a lot of dead materials left over from the winter (leaves, dead grass, fallen trees or branches) on the ground and if something did ignite, it could spread rapidly,” said Pittsburgh National Weather Service meteorologist Rich Redmond.
Residents are urged to use caution when handling any potential ignition sources.
These include matches, cigarettes and machinery.
If dry grasses and tree litter begin to burn, forecasters warned the fire will have the potential to spread.
A cold front will move into the region Friday afternoon and evening. Expect isolated showers and thunderstorms to develop Friday late afternoon and evening. Some storms could be strong to severe with the potential to produce damaging wind gusts. pic.twitter.com/tMM8rnooXc
— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) April 21, 2023
Redmond said a cold front moving in late Friday evening will result in a sharp drop in daytime high temperatures over the weekend.
Temperatures will be around 83 Friday until 6 p.m. with isolated thunderstorms moving into the north and west of Pittsburgh.
Weekend temperatures will usher in a cooldown with highs in the low 50s with intermittent rain Saturday and isolated showers on Sunday.
“Today may be the last time we see temps in the 80s through the first week of May. We’ll have a cooler pattern over the next couple of weeks,” Redmond said.
Emergency crews respond to fire in Lincoln Place
Crews were called to a home in Lincoln Place around 12:15 a.m. Friday for a reported fire, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI.
The home is in the 1100 block of McElhinny Avenue.
No injuries were reported.
A cause of the fire has not been released
USPS employee injured In Crafton Heights hit-and-run
A hit-and-run accident Thursday morning resulted a male postal worker sustaining injuries that resulted in leg and lower back pain.
Pittsburgh police responded to a report of a hit-and-run around 9:40 a.m. in the 2800 block of Middletown Road, according to Pittsburgh information officer Cara Cruz.
The postal employee told police he was inside his postal vehicle when it was struck, causing him to fall out of the side door and onto the ground.
The driver fled the scene and broken glass and a side passenger mirror were located at the scene.
The man was transported to the hospital for an evaluation.
Police used city camera footage to match the vehicle with the description given (blue truck) and they located the vehicle in the vicinity and spoke with the driver who provided a statement to police.
The driver faces charges that include accidents involving damage to an attended vehicle.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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