SAUGUS — The Breakheart Reservation will remain closed to visitors through at least Wednesday as firefighters work to fully extinguish a number of brush fires at the park that have burned 79 acres — more than 10 percent — of its land since breaking out on Aug. 16.
At a press conference at the park Tuesday, state officials announced a temporary ban on all open flame and charcoal fires across the Massachusetts State Park System in an effort to prevent wildfires intensified by drought conditions. Massachusetts has experienced over 849 fires which have burned about 1,440 acres this year. Of those, over 100 took place in August. Department of Conservation and Recreation Chief Fire Warden Dave Celino said “right here” in northeastern Massachusetts, is the epicenter.
Saugus Fire Capt. Tom Kaminski previously told The Item that officials are still investigating the Breakheart brush fires as “suspicious,” in part because it was difficult to imagine the blazes starting any other way with no recent lightning and no power lines in the park.
Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Acting Director Dawn Brantley was one of several representatives from local and state organizations who thanked firefighters for their containment work at the press conference.
“Thank you for working so hard in the toughest of conditions for days and sometimes weeks at a time to keep our communities safe,” Brantley said. “While we never wish for the fires to occur in the first place, it is great to know that our safety, and the safety of our homes and infrastructure is in such capable hands.”
The Massachusetts Air National Guard airdropped water from a helicopter onto the brush fires Sunday. Two days of rain followed. However, firefighters are still working to fully extinguish the fires at Breakheart Reservation. In a statement, DCR officials said they believe five blazes broke out initially, before two merged into one and a new fire ignited. As a result, the fires are at various levels of containment.
Celino said the state’s extreme drought conditions are, at least in part, responsible for fires’ increased intensity this summer. A lack of water can mean a growing amount of fire “fuel,” or anything that can easily burn, including dead leaves, grass and trees.
“It’s all about fuels, weather, and topography in our business,” Celino said. “When the weather goes bad on the drought side, it affects fuel conditions and that’s what drives the situation like here at Breakheart.”
The situation at Breakheart Reservation is a ground fire, meaning firefighters must work to keep dry decayed material underground such as root systems and logs from burning. Extreme drought conditions make this job harder as they prevent water from saturating the ground.
“What this rain doesn’t do — it does not saturate into the ground,” Celino said. “It’s not going to put out the ground fires or the heat that’s in there…. We’re in this for the long haul until we get a season-ending event.”
A wildfire season-ending event could be a tropical storm, or four to five days of sequential rainfall, according to Celino.
DCR Commissioner Doug Rice advised community members to do their part by following fire safety rules. Rice said people should never leave fires unattended and always carefully dispose of charcoal after grilling. Deputy State Fire Marshall Maribel Fournier added that people should also remember to stay 10 feet from buildings and low-hanging trees when grilling.
“Your local firefighters and fire departments are exhausted,” Fournier said. “Please keep them in mind during this difficult time.”
Rachel Barber can be reached at [email protected].
