SAUGUS — Ongoing wildfires in the Breakheart Reservation forced the Department of Conservation and Recreation to close the park for the third straight day on Thursday.
“Breakheart Reservation in the Town of Saugus has closed to the public due to ongoing wildfires causing heavy smoke and active fires along the paved path,” DCR wrote in a tweet.
The fires broke out around 5 p.m. Tuesday and have burned through more than 20 acres of the park. The reservation had briefly reopened Wednesday morning before being forced to close again hours later.
Dry conditions at the reservation likely played a role in the fire’s fast spread, Saugus Fire Capt. Tom Kaminski said.
“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].
