The dry weather continues, and so do the forest fires.
A large wildfire broke out in the Blue Hills Reservation on Monday evening, and crews continued to battle the blaze on Tuesday.
The fire started near Houghton’s Pond on Monday evening and quickly grew to more than 100 acres off Hillside Street, according to Wicked Local partner WCVB Channel 5.
In Braintree, a wildfire was reported Monday in the woods near Skyline Drive.
“The fire will continue to smolder deep underground until we get a drenching rain,” the Braintree Fire Department Instagram page says.
You can read more about the fires here.
Firefighters are extinguishing fires in the Blue Hills in Milton, Massachusetts, on Monday, November 18, 2024. The fires are on Hillside Street near Houghton’s Pond.
Smoke was reported in Braintree today. Are there more fires?
On Monday evening, Braintree Fire responded “to smoke calls throughout the city,” according to the department’s Instagram page.
But the passage continued to state that the smoke in the air was “due to a fire on the Blue Hills Reservation that is currently active.”
The fire department’s website states: “The Braintree Fire Department continues to receive calls and respond to ongoing fires in the East Braintree fire area around Skyline Drive and Ross School. The department has also responded to people with unauthorized outdoor fires in several areas of the city . village.”
The USA Today Network called the department for an update, but a dispatcher said the best way to get updates is through Facebook or X, formerly known as Twitter.
City officials emphasize that a burning ban applies until November 22.
What is the information on the Blue Hills wildfire?
According to reports, crews were still battling the fire as of Tuesday morning.
“Many people reported seeing and smelling the smoke along nearby Interstate 95,” WCVB reported. “It even prompted the Brockton Fire Department to warn residents of possible smoke and haze in the area… Two forestry task forces have also been assigned to help fight the fire – one from Norfolk County and one from Plymouth County.”
Roads around the fire are closed.
Firefighters are extinguishing fires in the Blue Hills in Milton, Massachusetts, on Monday, November 18, 2024. The fires are on Hillside Street near Houghton’s Pond.
Are there other wildfires in Massachusetts?
An unusual number of wildfires continue to burn across Massachusetts.
The Carver Fire Department posted on Facebook that the average number of wildfires in Massachusetts in November is 21.
“To date, we are at 292 for November 2024, with more than 700 acres burned” for the state, the department noted.
State fire officials report that earlier this month, on November 9, there were 175 wildfires that continued to be a problem throughout Massachusetts.
Mass.gov stated that there were 203 wildfires in Massachusetts during the month of October, which is an increase of about 1,200% over average. Normally there are only about 15 wildfires in October.
A fire reportedly burned 300 acres in Boxford State Forest overnight, according to a Dataminr alert. Last week the same area was closed due to forest fires.
A nine-alarm fire also broke out in an abandoned mill on Monday. The incident forced the closure of four schools and led to service disruptions on a portion of the Commuter Rail, according to WCVB.
Hull’s annual Thanksgiving bonfire has been suspended this year due to persistent dry and windy weather conditions that have sparked bushfires across the region and the state in recent weeks.
How bad is the drought in Massachusetts?
The U.S. Drought Monitor recently found that dry conditions in Massachusetts are getting worse.
That’s because the state hasn’t seen significant rain since September, while precipitation totals are low in October.
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs declared a Level 3 – Critical Drought for the central and northeastern regions of Massachusetts late last week.
The US Drought Monitor Map of Massachusetts as of November 14.
The U.S. Drought Monitor currently classifies just over 66% of the state as in severe drought, covering most of the Boston region, the North Coast, Central Massachusetts and Western Massachusetts. Other parts of the state are considered to be in moderate drought, while the Cape and Islands are currently classified as abnormally dry.
Last week, both Governor Maura Healey and the Massachusetts Water Authority asked residents to conserve water, but no mandatory water restrictions were implemented.
“After more than a month of almost no rain and devastating wildfires, Massachusetts is clearly experiencing significant drought,” Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rebecca Tepper said in a news release. “This fall has felt different for all of us. Climate change sometimes brings drier weather to our state and sometimes extreme precipitation. It is critical that we all practice water conservation practices, especially indoors, and adhere to local requirements to reduce pressure on our water systems and ensure essential needs such as drinking water, habitat and fire suppression are met.”
This article originally appeared in The Patriot Ledger: Massachusetts wildfire burns in Blue Hills Reservation. What you need to know
