SENECA ROCKS, W.Va. — Firefighters were on the scene Sunday of a fire reported at Seneca Rocks in Pendleton County.
As of late Sunday morning, the fire had spread to between five and ten acres within the Monongahela National Forest, according to officials at the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center.
?Fire at #SenecaRocks – this is why you don't shoot fireworks off in a National Forest. pic.twitter.com/n9zOdOtjpu
— Philip Stahl (@PhilipStahlPIO) July 2, 2017
Firefighters were working to contain the flames into Sunday afternoon.
Early reports from the scene indicated the fire started Saturday night when people were setting off fireworks illegally on the rocks and the blaze was not immediately reported by those involved to the U.S. Forest Service or other authorities.
It was Sunday morning before those who work at the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center found out about the blaze and reported it, officials there said.
The use of fireworks is illegal on public lands all year.