Massachusetts firefighters concerned dry, windy conditions are ripe for brush fires
LYNN – Brush fires ripped through Lynn Woods on Monday, and firefighters are concerned that conditions on Tuesday will be ripe for even more flames around the region.
Five separate fires have burned in Lynn Woods since Friday. A total of 212 acres have been burned.
The fifth fire, which burned on Monday, is the largest at 135 acres. The latest blaze was in the Deep Wood Trail on the northern edge of Walden Pond.
The first four fires were contained at 95% and are in monitor status.
On Monday, a Massachusetts State Police Airwing helicopter scooped water and made bucket drops onto the flames.
By late Monday, a new fire broke out at Breakheart State Reservation in Saugus, causing crews to shift their resources there.
DCR fire warden Dave Celino said the recent uptick in fires is not due to a lack of rain, but rather drought over several years. There have been nine wildfires over three days in Massachusetts.
"We're expecting gusts of 25 MPH and higher (Tuesday) and Wednesday," Celino said. "That's what's going to drive the fire weather watch potentially up to a red flag warning."
The concern is that several weeks of low humidity, higher than normal temperatures and Tuesday's forecasted winds could combine to cause serious fire trouble.
"Great for going to the beach and recreating. Really bad for fire behavior," Celino said.
Celino asks people to be particularly careful in the coming days with cigarettes, campfires, fireworks, and anything that can cause a spark. More than 95% of brush fires are caused by people.
"What we need is for the public to sort of work with us," Celino said.