Crews Battle Brush Fire In Oxford
OXFORD (CBS) -- A fast moving five-alarm brush fire tore through 50 acres deep in the woods in Oxford Monday. No homes were threatened and no one was hurt.
Oxford Fire Chief Sheri Bemis said people around town started to smell smoke late in the morning, but no one could tell what was burning until people staffing fire towers in Oxford and Charlton spotted a smoke plume near Old Howarth Road.
Then fire crews had to work through rugged terrain to find it.
WBZ-TV's Peg Rusconi reports.
"It's rough terrain. It's hard to get to. We could see the smoke from center of town, but really hard to pinpoint," said Bemis. "Initially (crews) faced three to four foot flames. It was moving quickly."
Regional brush strike teams and tankers were brought in and the fire was contained over the course of the afternoon.
Bemis said the conditions are ripe for brush fires because the ground's surface is extremely dry and it's windy. She said it's unclear what caused the fire.
A Red Flag Warning, which warns of the potential for brush fires, has been posted for much of the area due to the dry and windy weather in the forecast.
