State Warns on Wild Fire Dangers

Heading into the weekend, state officials are highlighting a statewide red flag warning as what the state called an unprecedented spike in outdoor fires continues amidst a dry spell across Massachusetts.

In Franklin and Medway, at least, the situation has been less dire, with Franklin Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Barbieri reporting no major brush fire issues as of Thursday afternoon. A similar report, Friday morning, came from Medway Chief Jeffrey Lynch. However, Lynch did say Medway deployed a water tender to Middleton, on the North Shore, in support of a statewide activitation.

Indeed, the State Department of Fire Services on Friday reported that there were about 200 wildland fires in Massachusetts in October, a month when there are usually about 15 such fires. One hundred of the October fires were reported over the last seven days, the department said, and preliminary information indicates that all of them started with human activity.

Significant fires are active in Salem/Lynn, Middleton, Canton, Blue Hills Reservation, Devens, Wilmington, Holden and North Andover.

The October numbers are even higher than the "traditional early spring brush fire season," the department said.

"The weather conditions and dry surface fuels that have contributed to these fast-moving fires are expected to continue in the days ahead. Any outdoor fire will grow quickly, become difficult to control, and require numerous firefighting resources," Chief Fire Warden David Celino of the state Department of Conservation & Recreation said in a statement.

Fire Marshal Jon Davine said 45 percent of Massachusetts homes are "in or near wooded areas at risk for brush and wildland fires."

"In the current fire weather environment, any significant fire could put people and property in danger. In fact, many of them have started with activity around the house, like outdoor cooking and using lawn tractors and other power equipment," Davine said.

Fire officials are asking people to refrain from outdoor cooking and heating, saying sparks and embers from chimineas, fire pits, and grills "can easily ignite dry vegetation, debris, and overhanging branches." They are also urging caution with the use of power equipment, safe disposal of ashes from fireplaces and wood stoves, and the use of proper means to extinguish smoking materials.