Environment & Energy

Cuyahoga Valley National Park Preparing for X-Tinguish Torch Fest This Friday

Ideastream Public Media | By Kabir Bhatia

Published June 18, 2019 at 8:41 AM EDT

A photo of Brecksville Dam — The X-Tinguish Torch -- commemorating 50 years since the last fire on the Cuyahoga River -- will come through the CVNP at the Brecksville Dam on Friday afternoon.

Officials at Cuyahoga Valley National Park are preparing for this week’s 50^th anniversary of the final Cuyahoga River fire.

The “X-tinguish Torch Fest” will symbolically bring a torch down the river on Friday.

The national park’s Maureen Finnerty says they’ve been working for several years on ways to focus people on the rebirth of the Cuyahoga since 1969. And that includes having the river designated by the state as a Water Trail.

“We want to continue this work into the future. We talk about the Water Trail as becoming a lasting legacy of this anniversary, but that is something that will benefit the people of Ohio for many, many years to come.”

As part of the Water Trail designation, new signage would be added along the river to alert people about dams or low bridges.

For Torch Fest, there will be a ceremony at 2:30 p.m. Friday near the Brecksville Dam, which is slated for removal this year.