Northeast Drought Monitor. Correspondent Jeremy C. Fox contributed reporting. Listen 4:19. Additionally, smoke conditions can be expected intermittently throughout the area as fuels continue to burn within the center of the burn areas and weather conditions change. Rao said its good to see that supplies are for the most part holding up and extensive outdoor watering restrictions are being put in place by many water suppliers. A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. Not only does drought allow fires to start more easily and spread more rapidly, but it also causes them to burn deeper into the ground, making them harder to contain and extinguish. The newest "priority" fire for . Small portable propane grills are still allowed at campgrounds and recreation areas where grilling is permitted.. This weeks rain has helped a bit, but something more substantial will be needed to staunch the issue, he said. Active US wildfires by affected area (in square miles) <10. DCR, Saugus FD, and partner organizations will also continue to work to contain the fires using ground methods, such as handline construction with hand tools and digging out suppressing deep burning hot spots. Furthermore, the public is advised that the park will remain closed through Wednesday, August 24, 2022, due to ongoing fire operations, and in consideration of public safety and the safety of the first responders managing the incident. Filter - control incident types displayed on map. The .gov means its official. What I would say to folks is, whoever ordered the rain, fantastic right? Celino said. WebInteractive real-time wildfire and forest fire map for Massachusetts. It is pretty critical in the Northeast and Central region of the state.. Massachusetts is no stranger to wildland fires. An official website of the United States government. all, 39 fire departments from two counties participated in the fire, over 130 pieces of apparatus moved, and over 450 firefighters were involved. . display: none; FRAMINGHAM, MA A fire broke out in the bedroom of a Waverly Street duplex over the weekend, but fire officials quickly responded and were able to limit the damage. What it doesn't affect is ground fuel burning that's ongoing," he said. Wildfires across the West have The Hubbardston Fire Department confirmed this as well tweeting, We have responded to numerous reports of smoke in the area. State House News Service contributed to this report. According to DCR, so far in 2023, there have been 240 wildfires in Massachusetts over almost 250 acres. Residents of an apartment building in Winthrop survived a fire that struck four alarms, sending mutual aid from surrounding communities to battle the blaze. While the cause of the fire is not yet known, investigators said it's not thought to be suspicious. An air quality alert was issued Monday for much of Massachusetts because of smoke at the ground level from wildfires raging on the Air Quality Alert In Massachusetts As Wildfire Smoke Blows Through. The firefighters' union did not state whether anyone has been injured by the fire. THIS IS VIDEO FROM THE SCENE. Celino said crews are working to obtain 100 percent containment of the blazes. As fires continue to burn in Massachusetts, an uptick in smoke is leading officials to issue warnings to the public. Year to date, there have been 849 fires affecting 1,440 acres. For data requests or copies of older reports, contact the Fire Data Unit at (978) 567-3382. As a brutal drought persists across Massachusetts, environmental experts urge the public to heed local water restrictions amid an uptick in wildfires. So the drought story started really about mid-June. Hot and humid conditions will continue through the weekend. The parts of the state Monday afternoon where the air quality was listed as unhealthy, or unhealthy for those with health challenges, included areas of Chelmsford, Chicopee, Haverhill, Lynn, North Adams, Pittsfield, and Worcester, according to the DEP website. But as Rao notes, theres still over a month left of summer, and theres no telling how much or little rain is in store. Small portable propane grills are still allowed at campgrounds and recreation areas where grilling is permitted. @WCVB #Medford #WestMedford pic.twitter.com/qZ0fQSiX9P. Some have been substantially larger than others in the past year. July 20, 2021 1 On Tuesday, the Northeast felt the effects of the wildfires that have been burning across the western United States and Canada. MEDFORD, MA Firefighters were battling a four-alarm fire Sunday evening in Medford. Of course, please call 911 if you see a fire.. On Wednesday Saugus Fire Chief Thomas D'Eon would only see there was an "active investigation" into the cause. It was the largest "mutual aid" fire in Cape Cod history. The smoke is a result of record-shattering wildfires out west. Celino said that in the last seven days, fire crews Ninety-seven wildfires have been reported this month, Celino said, as this summers drought continues to worsen. If you need assistance, please contact the Department of Fire Services. Thanks to @MedfordPolice and @MedfordMAFire for protecting our neighborhood. Honestly, we dont know how much longer the drought will last or how much more severe it will get before it improves, says Rao. WebMassachusetts. Residents of an apartment building in Winthrop survived a fire that struck four alarms, sending mutual aid from surrounding communities to battle the blaze. All rights reserved, DCR closed the Breakheart Reservation in Saugus to the public earlier this week, Baker to Ride Amtrak Across Mass. MBIRS is also a powerful tool for burn prevention. Massachusetts is super smoky and hazy from western wildfires, as air quality hits unhealthy levels Fire departments were getting calls for smoke in the area Cambridge, As brush fires proliferate, some are asking, is Mass. The wildfires raging on the West Coast and in Canada have affected air quality in Massachusetts, with state officials on Monday warning the blazes on the other side of Be fire-safe indoors and out! We will use this information to improve this page. Due to the severe drought and numerous wildfires flaring up across the state, theres now a ban on all open flame and charcoal fires in state parks to prevent wildfires, according to the DCR. DCR closed the Breakheart Reservation in Saugus to the public earlier this week through at least Wednesday as a result of the ongoing fire. During arson, the perpetrator may burn themselves. Sept. 10, 2022, at 2:21 p.m. Western Wildfire Smoke Leads to Hazy Skies in New England. Thats a pretty steep number for us.. At one point, he says the fire threatened 35 structures downstream and the fire almost came out of containment. The weather got even drier in the past month, with only between 10 and 25% of the normal precipitation falling in a U-shaped stretch of the state from Worcester to Boston and up to Cape Ann and no more than half the average amount in large sections of the rest of the state. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The Boston skyline was obscured by haze on Monday, as seen from Fenway Park ahead of the Sox game. 2. A record high temperature was set in Boston and tied in Hartford today. MBIRS data is used to produce an annual report on the causes of burns that can identify trends and patterns. Residents are also asked to pay attention to water bans in their town or city. Nearly 100 wildfires have been recorded by the Department of Conservation and Recreation for the month of August, and it appears nothing short of a major storm will According to the states Department of Fire Services (DFS), about 40 percent of Massachusetts homes are in areas at risk of brush and wildland fires. Colorado has seen four of its top five largest wildfires in the last three years, in 2018 and 2020 during the record-breaking wildfire season nationwide. Power equipment and vehicles, MEMA officials warned, can get very hot and cause dry grass to catch fire. Twelve active wildfires are currently burning in Massachusetts as the state continues to grapple with drought conditions that have hit the region this summer, M-BIRS is a tool for law enforcement. Stay up to date with everything Boston. DFS A view of the Prudential Tower from Somerville on Monday afternoon. David Epstein. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission uses NFIRS data to identify products that can cause fires. NORTHAMPTON, Mass. DCR manages state parks and oversees more than 450,000 acres throughout Massachusetts. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. MEDFORD, Mass. Having that water for fire protection is critically important.. April 21, 2023 at 8:24 p.m. Fire officials said smoke detectors could have saved their lives. As of Saturday, at least 147 Massachusetts cities and towns have put outdoor water use restrictions in place. We just dont want wells drying up or having other issues where they cant access the water they need for their daily use, Rao said. Box 1025, Stow, MA 01775, The Massachusetts Burn Injury Reporting System (M-BIRS) is a joint program between the Mass. Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. Nearly 100 wildfires have been recorded by the Department of Conservation and Recreation for the month of August, and it appears nothing short of a major storm will douse the persistent flames, Chief Fire Forest Warden David Celino said. The fire issue is here and its with us long-term until we get a season-ending event, which is a tropical storm over several days, Celino said. Thats the strategy, he said. Department of Public Health and the Department of Fire Services. According to Celino, most wildland fires in the US are less than 10 acres in size. He said crews were grateful for the rains that fell on the state Monday and Tuesday. Please limit your input to 500 characters. In Greater Boston there was unhealthy air reported near the Fore River in Weymouth, on Willow Street in Chelsea, and near Breeds Pond in Lynn. State and local fire officials are working together to manage multiple fires across the state. [1] Chemists show that Australian wildfires widened the ozone hole by 10% in 2020. The drought has made fighting the fires complicated, and all fires within the drought-stricken part of the state are expected to continue burning until there is enough rain to help extinguish them, officials said. #AirQuality Alert: Smoke plume from US & Canadian #wildfires is again causing fine particle levels to elevate into Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range today in all MA counties except Plymouth, Bristol & the Cape & Islands, the DEP tweeted. The Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) is used to determine forest fire potential. }Customer Service, Twelve active wildfires are currently burning in Massachusetts as the state continues to grapple with, We have 12 active fires that are still out there today across the state, said DCR Chief Fire Warden David Celino during an afternoon briefing at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus, where crews were, The dozen wildfires currently burning, Celino said, span anywhere from an acre to 75 acres here at Breakheart or, Celino cited additional fires during the briefing, including a, The blazes inside Breakheart Reservation began last week as five individual fires, but two have since merged and another has begun, DCR officials said in. The Massachusetts DEPs online air quality tracker on Monday night was reporting air that was unhealthy in Kenmore Square, Lower Roxbury, and just south of the Andrew MBTA Station in South Boston. Box 1025, Stow, MA 01775. The University of Connecticut graduate can often be found spinning along to virtual training videos on her studio-cycle bike. Thats a success story, in that we had a whole neighborhood that was threatened if that fire broke out of containment last week. Contained fires will still give off smoke and can burn very hot in the center, Celino said. Annual Suffolk County Data. Material from prior Globe stories was used in this report. Those sensitive groups, the state says, include people with heart or lung conditions such as asthma, older adults, children, teenagers, and people who are active outdoors. WebThe wildland fires within Breakheart Reservation were ignited on Wednesday, August 17, 2022, as five individual fires. Fax the completed Massachusetts Burn Injury Reporting Form (FP 84F) to (978) 567-3199; or, Mail the Massachusetts Burn Injury Reporting Form (FP 84F) to: M-BIRS, Department of Fire Services, P.O. /. There were 74 fires in the last week alone. Annual Fact Sheets summarize fires and fire deaths in Massachusetts on a single page. Brush Fires Send Smoke Traveling Across Parts of State, Breakheart Reservation in Saugus Closes Through Sunday Amid Brush Fires, Our Teams Deserve Better': Violence at Mass. Web#Mulch is combustible and causes many fires each year. The fire caused over WINTHROP, MA About 110 people are displaced, a few animals are dead, and at least four people are hospitalized following a multi-alarm fire at an apartment complex in Winthrop Friday. The park will remain closed through Wednesday. Some page levels are currently hidden. Beginning in 2014, this data wasincluded in the County Data. We analyze data from these systems to: Massachusetts participates in the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). Massachusetts drought worsens with 97 wildfires, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Massachusetts drought worsens with 97 wildfires seen in August, Massachusetts weather forecast: After nasty rainy Sunday, an unsettled week with showers, Massachusetts weather outlook: After rain, unsettled week with below normal temps, Runners heading into cooler temps, light headwind on marathon day, After record-breaking heat in Boston, temps will drop to near perfect for Boston Marathon participants, Nearly 26 inches of rain: A really unprecedented event in parts of South Florida, MassGOP, MassDems chairs meet for the first time, New Hampshire mayor eyes Gov. An official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, This page, UPDATE: Department of Conservation and Recreations Breakheart Reservations Wildland Fires, is, for UPDATE: Department of Conservation and Recreations Breakheart Reservations Wildland Fires, Call Ilyse Wolberg, DCR Press Secretary at, Email Ilyse Wolberg, DCR Press Secretary at, to UPDATE: Department of Conservation and Recreations Breakheart Reservations Wildland Fires.