SAUGUS — A brush fire has burned through nearly 20 acres of the Breakheart Reservation since it broke out around 5 p.m. Tuesday, and officials are investigating what they believe are suspicious circumstances around the blaze’s origin.
Saugus Fire Capt. Tom Kaminski said the reservation remained closed Wednesday as the blaze continued to burn. On Tuesday, the department struck a second alarm while battling the blaze, pulling in support from a number of neighboring communities, including Lynn and Middleton.
The blaze posed no threat to buildings or structures, Kaminski said, and dry conditions at the reservation likely played a role in its fast spread.
“It’s a tinderbox up there,” he said. “It’s been an extremely dry summer.”
While Kaminski cautioned that the origins of the fire remained under investigation, it appears as though multiple fires started “at the same time or near the same time,” leading officials to believe “most likely … someone set the fires,” he said.
“It certainly does look suspicious,” he said.
Jake Wark, a spokesman for the state Department of Fire Services, said drought conditions facing the region increase the likelihood of a brush fire breaking out.
“The critical drought conditions we’re experiencing mean that fires will start more easily and spread more quickly,” Wark said. “A large brush or wildland fire can take days to contain, presenting safety and health issues for firefighters and tying up resources from across the region.”
Charlie McKenna can be reached at [email protected].
