TOPSFIELD, MASS. (WHDH) - The launch of a model rocket at Topsfield’s Pye Field ignited a brush blaze that scorched two acres of field, according to the Topsfield Fire Department.
Wednesday afternoon, a person called 911 to report that he and his family were using model rockets at Pye Brook Park when flames began spreading across the field. Topsfield’s two on-duty firefighters were en route to a separate medical call, so backup firefighters responded to the scene, coming from their homes and full-time jobs to do so.
Because of the high temperatures outside and the rate of the fire’s spread, firefighters anticipated needing frequent crew rotations. Crews from Topsfield and Boxford Fire surrounded the area to prevent the fire to spread to outbuildings, dugouts and the nearby woods. Crews from Middleton, Hamilton and Wenham covered the town of Topsfield while other crews worked to control the blaze.
The department reported no injuries and the crews got the fire under control within an hour.
Given the recent drought, Topsfield Fire cautioned residents to be careful when using model rockets, smoking and building campfires.
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