NORTHBOROUGH, MASS. (WHDH) – Crews were busy battling brush fires across Massachusetts on Tuesday, as experts said a mix of dry air and gusty winds made conditions ripe for such fires.
Speaking with 7NEWS, Massachusetts’ Chief Fire Warden Dave Celino said crews had responded to 42 brush fires in the past three days. Together, Celino said, the fires had torched 114 acres of land.
In Northborough, SKY7-HD captured images of smoke and fire rising above an area around Church Street Tuesday afternoon.
On the ground, fire crews pulled hoses into driveways and up hills, trying to get water on burning brush while keeping flames from spreading to nearby homes.
Fire Chief David Parenti said the fire started in a backyard area before wind spread it up a hill and across three acres of land.
“We were advised that the homeowner threw a cigarette into a burn pit that he wasn’t using,” Parenti said. “He went inside, came back out and the fire was running back up the hill.”
Elsewhere, firefighters battled a fire on West Street in Hopkinton on Tuesday.
In Franklin, fire crews responded to a fire on Juniper Road.
In Beverly, fire officials extinguished a brush fire near Beverly Hospital.
A field with trees went up in flames in Mattapan, where firefighters could be seen working quickly to douse the fire.
In Burlington, officials said a brush fire grew to two alarms just a matter of days after a separate brush fire spread to a house on Friday of last week.
Tuesday’s fire in Burlington burned in an area off Arboretum Way. Officials said the fire impacted roughly 1.25 acres, expanding up a hill to threaten three vehicles parked nearby. The fire also at one point threatened area apartments and homes.
Fire officials said crews were able to contain the flames before the vehicles or any of the buildings caught fire, though the vehicles did suffer heat damage.
Temperatures pushed past 70 degrees in many spots around Massachusetts Tuesday just as relative humidity fell and wind blew through the region. The National Weather Service’s Boston office issued a red flag warning across much of southern New England indicating high fire danger, as a result of conditions.
Others echoed the warning.
“[W]e ask the public to really cooperate with us,” Celino said. “Understand that, under these conditions, any spark can start a fire whether it’s from a cigarette butt or a small campfire that gets out of control.”
Crews were wrapping up work in Northborough after several hours Tuesday afternoon.
Dangerous fire conditions have still lingered though, with officials warning against any outdoor burning in the coming days. Individuals should also be careful with lighters, cigarettes or other items that could spark flames.
Officials said they hope rain this weekend will lessen the fire threat.
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