Multiple brush fires have clouded the skies over much of Massachusetts this week amid tinder-dry conditions in the region. As part of the Statewide Fire Mobilization Plan, Burlington Fire Department on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday deployed its forestry truck and firefighters to nearby communities to help fight the blazes, to Weston, Salem and then Middleton.
With 47 active brush fires reported statewide as of Monday, including 18 with an 24-hour period, state officials urged residents to use caution with open flames and other hear sources. Meanwhile, some students were send home from school early in Salem due to the fires, while Boston.com reported Tuesday that Middleton’s Fire Department was working on a blaze of about 50 acres over “rugged terrain.”
“The availability of and deployment of the Forestry Task Force is a great example of the pre-planning that the Massachusetts fire service has done for situations like we are experiencing now,” said Burlington Fire Chief Andrew Connerty. “Under normal circumstances we reach out to our immediate neighbor communities for mutual aid when we are particularly busy. And they rely on us to do the same in return. This local mutual aid is used almost daily for fires and ambulance calls.”
Connerty added that when local mutual aid is exhausted or will soon be exhausted, departments can use the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Fire Service and EMS Mobilization Plan, which allows them to call up pre-arranged assistance with just one call. “The teams are strategically set up across the state so that no region is stripped of all its personal and assets,” Connerty said.
In addition to Forestry Task Force 13A, the program through which Burlington firefighters were deployed to Salem and Middleton, Burlington is also a part of a Structural Task Force and Ambulance Task Force. In 2018, Burlington deployed to the Merrimack Valley for the gas explosions and fires that occurred there.
“The residents of Burlington and Massachusetts should have comfort that the fire service across the state is prepared and willing to help in any way they can when the worst happens,” Connerty said.
According to the state Department of Fire Services, “Weather conditions statewide place all Massachusetts communities at elevated risk of brush fires. Many of these fires could spread to or from residential areas. Residents should monitor fire conditions closely and follow instructions from local public safety officials. Ensure that Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) are enabled on your cell phone. If your community has a local alert system, sign up to receive local warnings.”