JIM THORPE, CARBON COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A brush fire is sweeping through hundreds of acres near a busy tourist attraction in Jim Thorpe, Carbon County. Finally, there’s some good news from the front lines: Firefighters say it’s been contained.

But that doesn’t mean they’re out of trouble just yet, and for the people living nearby, the flames are coming a little too close for comfort.

The brush fire is burning parts of Bear Mountain, from Weisport to Jim Thorpe, spreading over 460 acres quickly Sunday and Monday morning.

Local fire crews, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, along with firefighters from as far away as Erie, teamed up to help contain the flames.

The goal now is to keep it from getting out of control and reaching local neighborhoods.

“People need to know this. Your safety and our safety is our number one objective. The community and the first responders. Number two is to box that fire in, and number three is to make sure that we don’t have any issues with the river or contamination or anything else,” said PA Borough of Forestry Public Information Officer Larry Bickle.

No one has been injured, and there have been no mandatory evacuations, but locals say their nerves are frayed.

“This morning, I came out of my house and there’s a lot of smoke still, and I just came through Jim Thorpe and we’re down by the railroad tracks, and I actually saw flames today,” Jim Thorpe resident Jerry O’Neil said.

“None of us in this house have anywhere to go, so it wouldn’t really be the best thing, and that, that is probably what is the scariest thing in the situation of the fire coming down because we don’t have anywhere to go,” said Owen Novy from Jim Thorpe.

Crews are continuing to monitor the area for hot spots and burning pockets, particularly keeping an eye on trees and shifting winds to prevent any potential spread.

While the fire remains largely contained, smoke continues to linger, a reminder to the people who live here that this brush fire isn’t fully tamed just yet.

Firefighters say they’ll regroup on Tuesday to figure out the next step in the effort to fully contain the fire.

Fire crews from outside the area are staying in local hotels.

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