RIDGWAY — More than 50 firefighters from throughout Elk County responded along with members of the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to a wildfire in Ridgway Township on Monday night.

Ridgway Fire Chief Scott Pontious said an airplane passing over the area spotted a fire on state game lands and reported it.

At 5:19 p.m., Ridgway firefighters were dispatched to the scene and stayed for approximately five hours.

Members of the Crystal Fire Department (St. Marys), Johnsonburg Volunteer Fire Department and Jay Township Volunteer Fire Department were also called to assist on scene with equipment and manpower.

Pontious said that two engines and three tankers were used along with 50 firefighters to help contain the blaze.

Pontious said the DCNR is investigating the cause of the fire, and as of Tuesday night, if parts of the blaze were still burning, it has been contained.

The 100-acre fire presented difficult conditions to firefighters.

Pontious said firefighters had to drive four miles through the forest to get close to the fire, but after that, firefighters had to walk one to two miles to get to the blaze. It is situations like these that has led the fire department to request funding from the borough for a side-by-side vehicle.

While such a vehicle would have many benefits for the department, it would help to get firefighters to fires in difficult locations, such as the fire on Monday night.

Pontius said the Crystal Fire Department, Elkland Search and Rescue, and a Ridgway ambulance provided several side-by-sides on Monday.

While the Ridgway department has used the ambulance’s side-by-side vehicle on several occasions, firefighters say that the ambulance’s vehicle is not designed for the fire department’s purposes and may not always be available.

Pontious said the side-by-side is a vehicle that could benefit the department and the residents of Ridgway Borough and the surrounding municipalities.

As of now, the borough has allotted $30,000 for the purchase of a side-by-side in its 2017 budget.

A preliminary 2017 budget is expected to be voted upon during Monday’s council meeting.

Not all of the councilman are behind the idea of providing funds to the department for the purchase of the vehicle.

Councilman Dale Anderson said he believes the vehicle is not needed and the department does not have enough men to learn how to use the side-by-side vehicle and the new $400,000 truck the department will receive in 2017.