Thank you for your website feedback! There is a haze and smell of smoke all throughout north central MA. The drought is causing problems for fire crews, who are responding to wildfires across the state. Honestly, we dont know how much longer the drought will last or how much more severe it will get before it improves, says Rao. 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. Fire officials said smoke detectors could have saved their lives. 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. New lawsuit over water pollution could change how we fight The posting said DCR Fire Control hadnt reported any wildfire activity in Massachusetts. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. Thats a pretty steep number for us.. DCR and its partner agencies continue to urge everyone to use caution and common sense when utilizing any open flame or power equipment that can cause sparks or reach high temperatures outdoors, the department said in a statement. In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area. May 1, 2023 at 5:40 p.m. NEW YORK Regulators seized troubled First Republic Bank early Monday, making it the second-largest bank failure in U.S. history. The data on fire incident reports is analyzed and categorized in many ways. MEDFORD, MA Firefighters were battling a four-alarm fire Sunday evening in Medford. People in sensitive groups, the DEP site says, should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion; take more breaks and keep quick relief medicine handy. The Massachusetts Burn Injury Reporting System (M-BIRS) is a joint program between the Mass. A rainy Monday helped a bit, but most of Massachusetts has received significantly less precipitation than usual in the past few months, exacerbating the drought that's stifling almost all of the state. Fire The .gov means its official. Please do not include personal or contact information. At 19 acres in size, the Briarwood Fire in Woodland Acres, near Rockport, Massachusetts, has been burning for 30 days. Crews are working to put out the flames from a brush fire that began in a wooded area in Saugus, Massachusetts. Celino advises people to fully extinguish a campfire by drowning it with water and mixing it into mud thats cold to the touch. An environmental advocacy group argues that the aerial fire retardant used to combat wildfires is leeching into waterways and causing Heres why Tuesday was such a hazy night in the Northeast More. On Monday in Massachusetts, officials with the state Division of Fisheries & Wildlife also said their agency has been getting calls about wildfire smoke.. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WCVB-TV. going the way of California? The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Small portable propane grills are still allowed at campgrounds and recreation areas where grilling is permitted.. Celino says crews implemented a mop up grid to better get a perimeter around it. Weve definitely seen an uptick in fire activity, said DCR Chief Fire Warden Dave Celino. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. They are valuable assets for large or long-term incidents, bringing many resources to bear without depleting any city or town of its own resources. . As fires continue to burn in Massachusetts, an uptick in smoke is leading officials to issue warnings to the public. Small portable propane grills are still allowed at campgrounds and recreation areas where grilling is permitted. Most of Massachusetts is in a "critical drought," the second-most severe of five levels, under the latest Aug. 9 designation from the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Massachusetts 2. Please limit your input to 500 characters. NO WORD ON ANY INJURIE. #ada-button-frame { Looking ahead, Massachusetts needs several months of above-normal rainfall to completely come out of this drought and increase the groundwater level. Firefighters cant fully suppress such fires, and in some cases, they cant be fully extinguished until there is a drenching rainfall. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration uses NFIRS information to identify fire risks in vehicles. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. 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 Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Fight Against Williamstown Forest Fire Continues Monday According to DCR, so far in 2023, there have been 240 wildfires in Massachusetts over almost 250 acres. It is also a powerful injury prevention tool for health educators and policy makers. If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. Corner of Prescott and Allston. 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. Massachusetts officials say an ongoing wildland fire in Northern Berkshire Torry Gaucher, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said by phone Monday the smoke in Massachusetts likely wont be as prevalent Tuesday, and that an expected cold front should lead to clearer skies on Wednesday. Web#Mulch is combustible and causes many fires each year. The Division of Fire Safety maintains the Massachusetts Fire Incident Reporting System (MFIRS) and the Massachusetts Burn Injury Reporting System (MBIRS). A wildfire burns above the Beluga Point parking area near Anchorage on July 19, 2016. 50. Just use it for basic needs., Stay up to date on all the latest news from Boston.com. Massachusetts fire departments answer calls about smell of The most common cause is campfires. Use only what is needed. #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. @WCVB #Medford #WestMedford pic.twitter.com/qZ0fQSiX9P. What it doesn't affect is ground fuel burning that's ongoing," he said. Gayla Cawley is the City Hall and transportation reporter for the Boston Herald. State and local fire officials are working together to manage multiple fires across the state. More than 98 percent of Massachusetts wildfires are caused by human activity. DCR and its partner agencies continue to urge everyone to use caution and common sense when utilizing any open flame or power equipment that can cause sparks or reach high temperatures outdoors. The state has had 816 fires this year, totaling 1300 acres. Fires are easily burning 10 to 15 inches into the ground, says Celino. Additional water bucket drops may be coordinated; however, that is weather and fire status dependent. THIS IS VIDEO FROM THE SCENE. The fire sits off of Route 1 and is roughly 35 acres but is anticipated to grow, according to Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Chief Fire Warden Dave Celino. For fire data requests or copies of older reports, contact the Fire Data Unit at (978) 567-3382. fire Climate change sparks disaster fears. There were 74 fires in the last week alone. DFS encourages fire departments to report all incidents. 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. 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 battling multiple brush fires. When firefighters document the causes of fires, the information helps prevent future fires. It was the largest "mutual aid" fire in Cape Cod history. [1] Forest fires have been seen at Lynn Woods, in Rockport and down through Norfolk and Bristol counties, but currently, the biggest hazard is at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus, where at least 12 fires are active, Celino said at a Massachusetts Drought Management Task Force meeting. Herald reporter Rick Sobey contributed to this report. The BC Wildfire Service says the Dripping Water wildfire, originally discovered on Thursday afternoon, is the bigger of the two fires and has now grown to cover 150 The site is secure. Having that water for fire protection is critically important.. Executive Summaries provide a summary of Massachusetts fire statistics for the year. Minimize or eliminate outdoor watering for non-essential purposes. Despite the noticeable lack of rain, this summers drought hasnt yet beaten out the drought of 2016. Residents are also asked to pay attention to water bans in their town or city. UPDATE: Department of Conservation and Recreations Breakheart Settings - change map background and toggle additional layers. fire wildfires Eight people were displaced early Thursday when a fire tore through a home in Lynn, Massachusetts. May 1, 2023 at 5:40 p.m. NEW YORK Regulators seized troubled First Republic Bank early Monday, making it the second-largest bank failure in U.S. history. Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Drought conditions are so bad that these wildfires are actually burning underground, which Celino said makes them a "challenging extended operation" for fire crews. Active Berkshire Wildland Fire Is Largest In The Worcester Fire Department tweeted separately that it had responded to numerous reports of smoke in the area. Annual Suffolk County Data. Celino said crews are working to obtain 100 percent containment of the blazes. The report is shared with hospitals and injury prevention professionals. The newest "priority" fire for state officials is the Breakheart Reservation Fire, which is a cluster of multiple fires burning near Saugus. But she mentioned that in other parts of the state where theres no public water supply system and people are on wells, even private wells, they do need to exercise the same level of restraint in how much water theyre using outdoors. One dead, several injured and displaced after New Bedford fire. Residents of an apartment building in Winthrop survived a fire that struck four alarms, sending mutual aid from surrounding communities to battle the blaze. 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 a statement. 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. The Boston skyline was obscured by haze on Monday, as seen from Fenway Park ahead of the Sox game. 100. Thanks to @MedfordPolice and @MedfordMAFire for protecting our neighborhood. #MAWX #RIWX #CTWX pic.twitter.com/QcXN5Bojlt. Its 3 out of 4; the next level is an emergency level, says Vandana Rao, the director of Water Policy for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA). Ongoing #Drought conditions are raising the fire risk across the state. DFS encourages fire departments to report all incidents. 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. The best thing the public can do to get ahead of the risk of wildfires is to conserve water, especially when it comes to outdoor watering regardless of whether they have a private well or use municipal water. While this will assist firefighters in their ongoing efforts, the minimal amounts of rain will have little effect on ground fuel conditions in the soils. Smoke from these fires is being captured in the jet stream and mixing down to the surface here in New England, the division said via Facebook. The Fire Department has been getting calls about smoke in the area from different parts of Holden, the department tweeted. Normally, he said, the spring fire season is busy but things begin to tail off by the end of May or early June, followed by a fairly quiet time for wildfires in July and August. Framingham Fire Damages Apartment, None Injured The task forces are drawn from multiple cities and towns in fire districts outside the emergency area. We will use this information to improve this page. Top-requested sites to log in to services provided by the state. WebMassachusetts. August 21, 2022. Massachusetts drought worsens with 97 wildfires seen in BOSTON, MA July 20: The skyline around Boston from Dorchester Heights as seen through the haze created by the wildfires in the west on July 20, 2021 in South Boston, BOSTON, MA. Medford firefighters responded to a multi-alarm fire that broke out in a neighborhood in the Massachusetts city on Sunday. Rainfall on Monday, August 22, 2022, brought temporary relief to all ongoing fires. Multi-alarm fire breaks out in Medford, Massachusetts, neighborhood, MEDFORD. Wildfire /. display: none; Wildfires across the West have Wildfires in Anchorage? Climate change sparks disaster fears Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. So the drought story started really about mid-June. Pollution lawsuit says aerial fire retardant poses threat to waterways An official website of the United States government. Massachusetts Wildland Fires NBC Boston Governor Charlie Baker last week had called in the National Guard to help battle the Rockport blaze. Air Quality Alert Fire 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. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. Fire 4-alarm #fire in West Medford down the block from our house. Moderate to very active fire behavior has been experienced throughout the incident with continued deep burning and smoldering on all fires. The high humidity and precipitation are lowering ignition potential and will drastically slow fire growth over the next two days. An air quality alert was issued Monday for much of Massachusetts because of smoke at the ground level from wildfires raging on the Looking to the fall, risks for wildfires could remain elevated if the drought conditions linger. Source: Professional Firefighters of Groton IAFF Local 4879. While the cause of the fire is not yet known, investigators said it's not thought to be suspicious. Fire departments and MFIRS Approved Vendors as of July 2020 can contactthe Fire Data Unit at 978-567-3382for information on: Fires or explosions that harm people or damage property must be reported to the Division of Fire Safety. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. 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. A huge fire broke out Friday at noon in an apartment building on Veterans Road in Winthrop. If you need assistance, please Learn About DCR| Mass.gov. This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. Please limit your input to 500 characters. Chris Sununus job as he ponders presidential bid, City starts Mass and Cass clear out; launches new Friends and Family reunification effort, Department of Conservation and Recreation, Bruins historic season falls far short of the goal, Showdown at SatanCon: White nationalist group Patriot Front joins protest of Satanic gathering in Boston, New Bedford threatens MBTA with possible lawsuit over taking land for South Coast Rail project, Guregian: Sizing up how the Patriots, AFC East teams fared in the draft, Howie Carr: With Tucker Carlson gone, this time I'm really done with Fox News, Lucas: Climate vandals miss the mark with Beacon Hill SUV attack, NFL Notes: Bill Belichick continues to march to the beat of a different drummer, Ex-Hopkinton Police deputy chief accused of raping child, allegedly assaulted student while he was school resource officer, Photos: Best and worst looks from the 2023 Met Gala, Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron showed class in defeat. fire Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. The smoke is picked up by the jet stream and brought to the Eastern region, including western Massachusetts. MEDFORD, Mass. Hot and humid conditions will continue through the weekend. Residents of an apartment building in Winthrop survived a fire that struck four alarms, sending mutual aid from surrounding communities to battle the blaze. DCR manages state parks and oversees more than 450,000 acres throughout Massachusetts. You can report by phone or by Fax. fire The recent string of hot temperatures and dry conditions have provided multiple fuels for wildland fires to burn in Massachusetts. The multi-alarm fire broke out around 5 p.m., taking over the building with massive smoke plumes and flames, MFD officials said over Twitter. All fires within the drought stricken areas are experiencing extended operations, and can be expected to continue until significant rainfall events occur. Breakheart Reservation Wildfire Continues to Burn in Saugus, Ninety-seven wildfires have been reported this month, Celino said, as this summers drought continues to worsen. Were finding out that you cant just go out directly and put the flames out and go home two hours later., Rather, Celino said, crews must bring [the fire] out and anchor it to solid points. 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. Use this button to show and access all levels. The state has had 816 fires this year, totaling 1300 acres. Active US wildfires by affected area (in square miles) <10. Smoke forecast. BOSTON Below is an update regarding the wildland fires within the Department of Conservation and Recreations (DCR) Breakheart Reservation in the Town of Saugus: The wildland fires within Breakheart Reservation were ignited on Wednesday, August 17, 2022, as five individual fires. WebFor a more mobile-friendly fire weather website courtesy of NWS Duluth MN, please visit the following: Fire Poker. We could see the numbers increasing every day that we went by without precipitation.. Follow Boston.com on Instagram (Opens in a New Tab), Follow Boston.com on Twitter (Opens in a New Tab), Like Boston.com on Facebook (Opens in a New Tab), EPA: Machine gun range could harm Cape Cod drinking water. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. Fires The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission uses NFIRS data to identify products that can cause fires. David Epstein. In order to advance fire suppression efforts, a helicopter operation, coordinated by the Massachusetts Air National Guard, DCR, MEMA, and DFS, was implemented on Sunday, August 21, 2022. Massachusetts is no stranger to wildland fires. Residents on Monday will vote on the town budget for next fiscal year at an annual town meeting. Multi-alarm fire breaks out in Medford neighborhood It gives the resources a chance to get after these fires without the concern of new starts.. Massachusetts Firefighters Head West to The Mayors New Budget Steers Framingham into Troubled Waters: Part I, Framingham State Student Newspaper Honored With SPJ Awards, Framingham State Names Next Dean of the College of Arts & Humanities, Book Talk with Pulitzer Prize Winner Erin I. Kelly and Patsy Rembert, Electronics Recycling and Document Shredding Event, Faiths in Tune 2 - FREE Interfaith Music Festival, Indigenous People, Solar Power, and the Future of Climate Change, Wet Weather Forecasted This Week In MA: National Weather Service, Who's Hiring In The Framingham Area? We have investigated and have found no fires in town. See current wildfires and wildfire perimeters in Massachusetts using the Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center If you're buying, storing, or using mulch for landscaping, follow state regulations to Health Care Facilities Has Increased in Recent Years, Defense Lawyers Claim Bombshell' New Evidence in BPD Officer's Death in Canton, Defense Team's Claim in Case of Officer's Death Stirs Controversy in Canton, Pupdate on the Adorable Dog That Fell Asleep on Our Broadcast. Man Uses Bear Spray on Pedestrians in Bizarre Road Rage Incident: Police, Our Teams Deserve Better': Violence at Mass. The fires are burning in mostly pine and oak woodland leaf litter. Travis Andersen can be reached at travis.andersen@globe.com. Settings - change map background and toggle additional layers. Several Massachusetts fire departments tweeted about the air issues Monday, including the Holden Fire Department. Environment Canada issued a special air quality statement Sunday for several regions across Ontario, including the Greater Toronto Area.