Pa. fire chief dies after teaching at wildfire academy

Carsonville Fire Chief Dave Warfel died after a day of instructing at the Wildland Fire Academy at Shippensburg University

June 02, 2025 07:51 AM

The Sentinel

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. — A state forest supervisor who was an instructor at the Wildland Fire Academy at Shippensburg University died on Thursday, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources said.

Dave Warfel, the forest district maintenance supervisor at Weiser State Forest, died after spending the day instructing and mentoring wildland firefighters, said department Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn in a statement released Friday.

No other details were available.

Warfel was also the Carsonville Volunteer Fire Company Chief in Dauphin County.

The manner of death will be determined by the Cumberland County coroner.

More than 400 people are participating in the annual Pennsylvania Wildland Fire Academy at Shippensburg University which offers hands-on activities designed to simulate conditions that they may encounter during a wildfire assignment.

The Weiser State Forest encompasses about 30,000 acres in seven counties in the central part of the state.

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