Red Flag Warning Issued In Massachusetts as Brush Fires Rage Across State
The severely dry weather and lack of rain in Massachusetts led to the issuance of a “Red Flag Warning” for dry weather and critical fire conditions. The major drought that led to these dry conditions has been throughout southern New England, and the Red Flag Warning itself was issued for the entire state of Massachusetts. Additionally, the Red Flag Warning has been issued for all of Rhode Island and Connecticut as well.
The Chief Fire Warden for the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Dave Celino talked about how a lot of fires in Massachusetts have been caused by humans and people have been advised to minimize their outdoor burning to prevent wildfires from starting. “There’s been no lightning systems in the area in October and November, and that’s the natural cause of wildland fires,” Celino explained. “So we know that all of these fires are human-caused in some form or fashion.”
The Red Flag Warning indicates that the brush fires are at severe risk for spreading if the droughts remain the same. Record warm temperatures for some Massachusetts cities in November have brought about concern with meteorologists and climate scientists alike as the drought stretches on.
Eric Fisher, a chief meteorologist for WBZ-TV said that “Those strong wind gusts are one of the biggest factors in the ability of some of these brush fires to spread.”
Firefighters have been injured in the process of putting out the brush fires, and if rain does not come soon the brush fires are expected to increase in severity.
