Status of Camp Tuckahoe After Brush Fire on March 14

To our Scouting community:

We are sad to report that a brush fire occurred at Camp Tuckahoe on Sunday evening while the property was vacant. We are immensely grateful for the quick response of area fire departments whose efforts contained the fire early Monday morning and saved all buildings from damage.

As many of you know, we closed Camp Tuckahoe beginning in October to enable the removal of unhealthy and unstable trees to protect the health and safety of all camp attendees. As part of this effort, groups of dedicated volunteers and employees have given their time on several Saturdays to help carefully remove debris caused by this process, which has included burning some of the material. While the burn pile was thought to have been fully extinguished, it appears that embers reignited some time on Sunday and unfortunately caused this fire.

This incident offers a stark reminder about the importance of fire safety, staying vigilant, and triple-checking each area to ensure a fire is out cold and the area is cool to the touch before leaving. We are committed to reviewing this incident, learning from it, and working to ensure that nothing like it happens again.

It will take some time to fully assess the situation, but we are grateful to share that the majority of Camp Tuckahoe’s main program areas were not impacted by the fire. At this time, we believe we can still provide our members and communities with the summer programs that Camp Tuckahoe is known for starting in June. We will continue to provide updates to our Scouting community as the situation develops.  

Thank you for your participation in Scouting and ongoing support as we navigate this challenge and prepare for a safe summer filled with fun and adventure.

We look forward to seeing everyone at camp.

Yours in Scouting,

William F. McQuade
Council President

Thomas A. Steckbeck
Council Commissioner

Ronald M. Gardner, Jr.
Scout Executive