Dozens of brush fires continued to burn across Massachusetts' North Shore and the rest of the state. Fire crews returned to active areas Tuesday to try to put the flames out.
Middleton's fire chief said that, as of Monday, more than 250 acres had burned in a wildfire that has spread to North Reading.
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You could see the smoke over Middleton Pond on Tuesday morning, as multiple spots in the woods were still actively burning.
The flames in Middleton and elsewhere weren't endangering homes, but
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And late Tuesday, the Department of Conservation and Recreation banned, for the time being, any open flame or charcoal fires at state parks, "in an effort to prevent wildland fires due to drought conditions," according to a statement.
The ban is effective immediately and will be in place until further notice, though small, portable propane grills could still be used in places where they're regularly permitted.
Hundreds of acres burning in Massachusetts
Firefighters were driving around monitoring the fires on Tuesday morning, and helicopters continued to attack flare-ups where possible.
Firefighters in Salem, Lynn and Peabody continued to battle a more than 130-acre wildfire.
Douglas LeColst, the fire chief in Middleton, said these fires are too big to extinguish at this point without some help from Mother Nature.
“We feel confident that the majority of it is contained, (but) it’s going to burn for days," he said. "You know, we’re not going to extinguish the fire. Our goal is just to contain it, which we feel pretty confident we’re heading in that right direction. So there’s going to be smoke in the area for a considerable amount of time until we get some good rainfall. That’s what we need.”
Brush fires were also reported in other New England states in recent days. The dry conditions contributed to dozens of fires in Maine over the weekend, including one large one in Buckfield that spanned five acres. And in Rhode Island, firefighters responded to a brush and boat fire in Johnston on Monday morning.
Why do I smell smoke in Greater Boston?
Obviously the smoke from these fires is affecting a lot of us.
All over the Boston area, you really can smell the smoke from those fires due to a weather phenomenon called inversion. That's when warm air traps cool air and smoke close to the ground, and that can be a concern for air quality because wildfire smoke has been shown to carry pollutants.
"Why you might want to be even more cautious on days where there's smoke present is because of that additional toxicity," said Jennifer Stowell, from the Boston University School of Public Health. "The biggest concern is for people who already have underlying conditions."
She said that may mean limiting outdoor activities if you have a respiratory condition like asthma, and at the very least staying tuned in to air quality conditions.
Because of the wind direction in Middleton and North Reading, the air quality index in the area is between 52 and 56, according to the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map, putting it as moderate, meaning people who are sensitive to smoke should limit exposure.
But the fire burning in Salem, Lynn and Peabody is a different story. There, the air quality is considered unhealthy, ranging between 130 and 189. That means everyone should take precautions by reducing outdoor activity.
In Salem, public schools are suspending outdoor activities, keeping recess, physical education, outdoor learning and sports indoors until further notice.
And in Saugus, which is downwind from both fires, the air quality is considered very unhealthy, at 220, where it's recommended everyone should limit or avoid outdoor physical activity.
“Air pollution in general can have both immediate and long-term effects, depends on the quantity of exposure and intensity," said Dr. Wynne Armand, as Mass General Brigham internist. "Also, some of the immediate effects on the milder side could be irritation of the throat or eyes, or even exacerbation of skin conditions like eczema, more of the serious symptoms can be difficulty breathing, coughing, chest pain, palpitations.”
Health experts say those with underlying health conditions, the very young and the very old should take extra precautions.
