Firefighters are thankful for the rain falling across Massachusetts Thursday, the first major rainfall in weeks, but it’s not expected to penetrate enough into the ground to put out the smoldering flames.
Five Massachusetts towns have declared a state of emergency due to the continued fire activity across the state.
Town officials in Boxford, Middleton, North Reading, North Andover, and Danvers announced that a state of emergency has been declared in their communities as of Thursday.
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The declaration authorizes and directs town officials to take appropriate action to respond to this ongoing situation, including what they deem necessary to utilize and coordinate the services, equipment, supplies, and facilities of existing departments, offices, and agencies or the community, both locally, regionally, statewide and nationally. This can include "extraordinary actions" for the purposes of emergency management to prevent minimize, or mitigate damage to public health, safety, or general welfare of residents in these five towns.
The declaration of emergency will remain in effect until a notice is given by the select board.
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According to a press release from the towns, there have been 403 active fires reported in the Commonwealth in November, with over 1,063 acres burnt. There has continued to be an elevated fire risk as level 3 critical drought conditions exist in the region with nearly 8-11 inches of rain deficit.
Bay State communities have battled unprecedented brush fires in recent weeks and have needed state and mutual aid assistance, including fire personnel from neighboring states.
The brush fires are "causing hazardous impacts, including smoke impacts, falling trees and dead snags within burned areas alongside other risks to firefighters, loss of forest stock, obstruction of roadways, damage to buildings and infrastructure in burn areas, damage to fire equipment and rolling stock, and a great financial burden," town officials said.
According to town officials, they are acting upon advice from their fire chiefs and emergency management director in determining that the wildfires pose a present, reasonable and imminent danger to public health, safety, or general welfare fore residents of Boxford, Danvers, Middleton, North Reading and North Andover, or their property.
No new fires were reported Thursday, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation said at 5 p.m.
"The precipitation will mean a couple days without new fires starting," the DCR said in a statement. "Once the precipitation stops and surface fuels dry out again the chances for new starts will increase. The existing deep burning fires will continue to hold heat and will not be extinguished by this event."
