Harrisburg, PA – Two teams of Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) staff members who demonstrated exemplary public service in their wildfire response efforts have been recognized by Governor Josh Shapiro with Governor’s Awards for Excellence.
DCNR’s Michaux State Forest Wildfire Response Team, which included Todd Breininger; Cody Crouse; Tyler Feldman; Marcus Kaiser; Adam Kling; Benjamin Livelsberger; David Lynch; Chad Northcraft; and Joshua Thompson; and the Packerton Wildfire Investigation Team, which included Jacob Novitsky and Matthew Waters, were honored for their actions to suppress and investigate large wildfires in Cumberland and Carbon counties.
The Thompson Hollow Wildfire broke out on April 23, 2025, in the Michaux State Forest in Cumberland County. A second wildfire, the Hammond Rocks Wildfire, began burning approximately ten miles to the east the following day in the Michaux. Extreme conditions including high winds, dry leaves and twigs resulting from months of drought, and thick underbrush and standing dead trees, caused the fires to grow rapidly to over 2,700 acres in a few days — about half the size of the city of Harrisburg. The fires burned with such intensity that smoke was visible along I-81. Typical wildfires in Pennsylvania average less than five acres.
These fires posed a significant threat to human lives and property and could have caused severe damage if the Michaux State Forest Wildfire Response Team had not led and organized a large multi-agency response including the Cumberland County Emergency Management Agency, local volunteer fire and police departments, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, Pennsylvania State Police, and hundreds of individual firefighters.
“The Michaux Wildfire Response Team expertly managed a highly volatile situation with two large wildfires burning simultaneously,” said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. “The team’s dedication, professionalism and commitment to public safety helped protect residents and structures near the fires and minimized the damage to the natural resources in the Michaux we work so hard to protect. We are grateful to this team and the Packerton Wildfire Investigation Team for the exemplary work.”
The Packerton Wildfire broke out on April 19, 2025, in Carbon County and quickly consumed 560 acres along the Delaware & Lehigh Trail. Suppressing the fire cost the Commonwealth $580,000. Investigators determined that the Packerton Fire began the same way as a string of fires that had started in March. The ignition point is in a transitional area where urban development meets undeveloped wildland vegetation, which creates a high risk to people and property if a wildfire burns out of control.
As the fires continued, the Packerton Wildfire Investigation Team was able to identify the arsonist’s patterns by combing through cellphone footage, using drone technology, interviewing witnesses, and even recreating on the trail to watch for suspicious activity. In total, the suspect set 19 fires along the D&L Trail between Jim Thorpe and Weissport in Carbon County from March to November 2025.
“The Packerton Wildfire Investigation Team conducted a high-level investigation that brought a serial arsonist to justice,” said DCNR Deputy Secretary John Norbeck. “I am proud of the work of this team and the Thompson Hollow Team. The efforts of both groups reflect the outstanding work our Bureau of Forestry carries out to protect the Commonwealth from potentially deadly wildfires.”
The DCNR Bureau of Forestry is responsible for protecting the Commonwealth’s 16 million acres of public and private wildlands from damage by wildfire through mitigation, prevention, preparedness, suppression, and investigation. As Pennsylvania’s lead wildfire response agency, the bureau coordinates incident command teams that bring together department staff, local fire departments, emergency responders, and volunteers.
DCNR maintains a trained wildfire workforce across the state and provides both basic and advanced wildland fire training, including the intensive weeklong Wildland Fire Academy. The training emphasizes safety, interagency coordination, and the specialized skills needed for dangerous and fast‑changing wildfire conditions. The Division of Forest Fire Protection oversees the program in partnership with District Forest Fire Wardens, who manage a statewide network of local wardens engaged in wildfire prevention and suppression.
Cooperative agreements ensure that Pennsylvania can share firefighting resources when needed, which includes dispatching approximately 150 personnel to assist other states each year. In a typical year, DCNR responds to about 1,000 wildfires and provides training for roughly 1,500 firefighters.
The Governor’s Awards for Excellence recognize individuals and groups of state employees for exemplary job performance or service that reflects initiative, leadership, innovation, and increased efficiency. The Michaux State Forest Wildfire Response Team and the Packerton Wildfire Investigation Team are among 83 employees from 17 agencies who were honored at a ceremony this week by Governor Shapiro for exceptional accomplishments in 2025.
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The Michaux State Forest Wildfire Response Team, which included Todd Breininger; Cody Crouse; Tyler Feldman; Marcus Kaiser; Adam Kling; Benjamin Livelsberger; David Lynch; Chad Northcraft; and Joshua Thompson.
The Packerton Wildfire Investigation Team, which included Jacob Novitsky and Matthew Waters.