BOSTON (WHDH) - Massachusetts officials say drought conditions have worsened in one of six regions in the Commonwealth.
Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides raised the drought status for the southeastern region of Mass. to Level 3 or “Critical Drought” after five months of below-normal rainfall in the state.
Among other things, residents in a Level 3 community are asked to minimize overall water use and end outdoor watering entirely. They are also being asked to implement drought surcharge or seasonal water rates and establish water-use reduction targets for all water users and identify top water users and conduct targeted outreach to help curb their use.
“We will continue to coordinate through all levels of government to address these drought conditions, and we urge residents in the Southeast region and across the Commonwealth to aggressively conserve water and take necessary precautions to avoid wildfires,” Theoharides wrote in a statement.
Across most of the Connecticut Valley, central and northeast regions into the Boston area, rainfall was one to three inches below normal. In the southeast, Cape and islands regions, rainfall was 2 to over 3 inches below normal.
Meanwhile, temperatures remained above normal, as September temperatures averaged near normal to 3 degrees above normal across much of Massachusetts.
In the Millers and Charles River basins, drought indices show a condition worse than that in the rest of their respective regions, leading to a critical declaration as well.
“As significant drought conditions have worsened to critical levels in some parts of the state, residents and businesses are asked to continue conserving water in order to reduce the demand on water supplies,” said Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Director Samantha Phillips.“These very dry conditions cause an increased threat of brush and wildland fires and we urge residents to exercise caution when using charcoal grills, matches, and other open flames during outdoor activities and to call 911 immediately if there is a fire to prevent the fire from spreading.”
Extended drought conditions have rendered grasses, shrubs and forest fuels very dry across most of the state, and extremely dry in areas of the Southeast, resulting in increased wildfire risk and added challenges for firefighting agencies.
As leaves and pine needles begin to fall, the difficulty in containing ongoing fires rises.
Fire officials remind the public to be very aware of this situation, and to be mindful with all open burning and disposal of combustible materials.
The declaration will remain in effect until water levels return to normal in the affected regions.
State officials said so far this year, 1,078 wildland fires have occurred throughout the state with approximately 729 burned acres. In comparison, 2019 had 281 wildland fires with 248 burned acres and 2018 had 1,021 wildland fires with 484 burned acres.
The western, Connecticut River Valley, central, northeast, Cape Cod, and islands region remain at a Level 2 which is considered to be a significant drought.
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