MIDDLETON, Mass. — Bay Staters should conserve water whenever possible and avoid burning anything outdoors amid an “unprecedented” wildfire season, public safety officials and Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey warned Tuesday.
Joined by state and local firefighting leaders in Middleton, Healey called on the public to take precautions to mitigate a wildfire season that has exploded due to an extended drought and periods of high winds.
Massachusetts has logged hundreds of wildland fires this fall, representing a 1,200 percent increase over October 2023, Healey said. More fires continue to break out into November, and officials warned the outlook will worsen the longer the state does not experience rain.
“Now is not the time to burn leaves. Now is not the time to go outside and light a fire out back and sit around one of our stoves. It’s just not that time,” Healey said. “My ask to the public is that you do everything you can to minimize the risks, to protect our communities, to conserve water, and to support our firefighters.”
Healey asked residents to conserve water by running their dishwashers frequently, running their washing machines at full capacity, taking shorter showers, and fixing plumbing leaks immediately.
David Celino, chief fire warden at the Department of Conservation and Recreation, said the fires are all “human-caused” because there has been no lightning system in the area in October or November.
A Red Flag Warning remains in place Tuesday across Massachusetts. The warning means warm temperatures, very low humidities, and stronger winds are expected to combine to produce an increased risk of fire danger.
There are currently more than 200 active wildfires in the state. In Lynn, the largest brush fire in nearly 30 years has scorched more than 400 acres in the Lynn Woods Reservation, closing most of the area to the public.
Anyone who lives near a burning wildfire is urged to limit outdoor activity and keep windows closed.
Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute told Boston 25 that those closest to the fire are at risk of short and long-term health effects, and breathing in chemicals in addition to the smoke is a risk.
You can track all of the active wildfires in the state on this live map.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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