Crews are still rushing to get numerous brush fires under control across Massachusetts. One of the biggest is happening in Salem, where a large blaze has been burning for days.
Right along Highland Avenue by the Walmart, the hillside was on fire on Monday morning. Firefighters pulled up and were able to quickly extinguish the flames.
The problem is the brush remains dry, there’s still a breeze, and with the fire in the ground and more than 80 acres burning in this fire alone, it’s difficult to completely put it out.
In fact, there were several wildfires burning throughout the state over the weekend – from Millbury, where one person died in a brush fire at an encampment, to here in Salem. And without rain in the forecast, the concern is fires like the one in Salem will just keep burning.
With limited access to the sprawling fire, crews are essentially containing it and moving firefighting apparatus around to put out flames and hot spots when they get near homes or businesses.
Meanwhile in Middleton, a brush fire continues to burn near the reservoir there. The concern in that community was it was close to the power lines on Upton Hills Road.
In Beverly, a brush fire burned near some shopping plazas, sending thick smoke out all around it.
And in Canton, there was a wildfire behind the Massachusetts Hospital School.
Fire crews say there’s just an elevated risk everywhere because of the extremely dry conditions.
“It’s a lot of brush," Salem Fire Chief Alan Dionne said. "We haven’t burned up here in about 15 years, and every bout of fires we have in the area, they get rid of some of the fuel, but it’s been a long time, so there is a lot of fuel on the ground and it’s mostly right along the ground, the trees, the branches -- mostly that type of stuff, but nothing up in the canopy.”
“It does make me nervous because I heard about the red flags for the past few weeks so that’s been kind of scary," said Betsey Cassidy, who lives near the brush fires.
The flames continue to burn in the woods in Salem, leaving a haze of smoke that can be seen and smelled for miles around. And obviously the timing of this huge brush fire is not ideal, with thousands descending on the area for Halloween on Thursday.
