Firefighters in Massachusetts are still battling stubborn brush fires throughout the state, and officials are advising homeowners to take steps to avoid starting new fires.
Hundreds of acres have burned in the greater Boston area in the last week, with additional flames breaking out in the state’s western and central regions.
Each October, Massachusetts reports an average of 15 wildland fires. This year, the total for the month was over 200, representing a 1,200 percent increase above the average and comparable to the monthly numbers seen during the annual early spring brush fire season.
Fire officials reported approximately 100 fires in the last seven days of the month, and preliminary data indicates that human activity initiated all of them. Last week, the fires led some communities to cancel school and Halloween celebrations.
On Friday, the National Weather Service issued a “red flag” warning for much of Eastern Massachusetts. The alert indicates that the region, which has had dry and warm weather, is at high risk of fire.
Fire officials have warned residents that open burning is illegal statewide until January and in many localities throughout the year.
They also advised homeowners to avoid outdoor cooking and heating and to use caution when using power tools such as lawnmowers and leaf blowers. The engines can become sufficiently hot to ignite dry leaves and grass.
Fire officials also warned against throwing cigarette butts, matches, or other smoking materials over a balcony, putting them out on steps or railings, or dumping them in dry grass or debris.
On Saturday, authorities arrested a man from Boston in relation to a brush fire near Milford, approximately 40 miles west of Boston. The individual was accused of setting fire to another person’s property and destroying land, trees, logs, and produce.
According to Chief Fire Warden David Celino of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, more than 25% of this year’s brush and wildland fires occurred in October. More than half of the 1,158 acres destroyed this year have come from fires in October.
“The weather conditions and dry surface fuels that have contributed to these fast-moving fires are expected to continue in the days ahead,” Celino told the media in a statement. “Any outdoor fire will grow quickly, become difficult to control, and require numerous firefighting resources.”
According to State Fire Marshal Jon Davine, around 45 percent of Massachusetts residences are located in or near wooded regions that are prone to brush and wildfires. He said that many of these fires began as a result of household activities such as outside cooking and the usage of lawn tractors and other power equipment.
