'Eyes in the sky,' Massachusetts fire towers fully staffed as wildfires pop up across state
CHARLTON - From high up in the Charlton fire tower operated by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, the view shows how the leaves on the trees have not popped yet. There's no shade.
"Be aware of your surroundings. The fuels are very dry," said Chief Fire Warden David Celino. He had a message for people down below. "Know on a day like today, that any spark is going to cause a fire and it can be dangerous. We've lost two homes and seven outbuildings last week in Massachusetts," Celino said.
What can't be seen from the tower is what's fueling so many fires. You have to get down low to see the dry vegetation on the ground. "You can hear how dry they are," said Celino crunching leaves and sticks in his hands. "You can hear how crunchy the leaves are. That's because they're super, super dry."
It's fire kindling. Add to that, the hot blazing sun. "That air mass is sitting on us right now, and it's like a sponge. That air mass is dry. The moisture is here in the fuels, and it's drawing the moisture out of those fuels and it's rendering them very dry," said Celino.
Near Beverly Hospital Tuesday, a plume of smoke billowed from brush that was in flames. In recent days, windswept fires moved through Plymouth, Gloucester, North Attleboro, Burlington, and more. According to DCR, so far in 2023, there have been 240 wildfires in Massachusetts over almost 250 acres. There were 74 fires in the last week alone.
That's why the Massachusetts Forest Fire Control Program has all 42 towers staffed now. A WBZ crew climbed 50 feet up to get a glimpse, well above the tree canopy line, where the wind whipped at about 35 miles per hour. That wind is what is driving the spread of wildfires across the state. "The DCR fire tower operators are their eyes in the sky," said Celino.
The height of the towers allows fire officials to spot smoke early, so that ground crews have a fighting chance.