Franklin

Firefighters battle brush fire in Franklin

Franklin Fire says crews were out in the area of Populatic Street battling the flames

A large brush fire was burning in Franklin, Massachusetts, early Sunday morning.

The Franklin Fire Department shared a video to social media around 4 a.m., saying that crews were out in the area of Populatic Street battling the flames, alongside mutual aid from several nearby towns including Medway, Bellingham, Norfolk and Plainville.

Chief James McLaughlin said the fire that they were notified about around 3:19 a.m. affected about 12 acres of land, according to NBC10 Boston affiliate WJAR.

Franklin Fire told NBC10 Boston that the fire was under control around 2:20 p.m. Sunday, though there were some smoldering spots that crews continued to wet down.

No one was injured, and no homes were damaged, WJAR reported.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

With a record number of brush fires burning in Massachusetts, Gov. Maura Healey pleaded with the public to do whatever they could to prevent more from breaking out. Hear from her and get a closer look at the weather pattern driving the fires.

New England states were under red flag alerts for wildfires this weekend.

Massachusetts, which typically has about 15 wildland fires every October, had about 200 this year. State officials said they were expected to continue because of weather conditions and dry surface fuels.

Southern New Hampshire was at particular risk for fires due to dry conditions and the fire danger risk was “very high,” state officials said.

The Maine Forest Service said the southern part of the state also faced high fire danger conditions. Most of the state was abnormally dry or facing moderate drought conditions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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