Massachusetts was under another red flag warning Friday, as continued dry, warm conditions fueled more brush fires across the state.
Several communities dealt with brush firesnow, and new hotspots are continuing to pop up in the central and western parts of the state. Crews have been working tirelessly to contain the blazes, but it's proven to be a challenge due to the severe drought conditions.
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One new brush fire burning Wednesday morning was near Interstate 93 in Reading, near Lothrop Road. Police urged people not to call 911 to report it, because "our emergency lines are being overwhelmed as a result."
Smoke was rising near the highway and homes. First responders were seen in the area, having set up hoses to spray water on the flames.
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In Lynn, where firefighters have been battling big brush fires for over a week, a new one, spanning multiple acres, broke out in the Lynn Woods Friday night. Aerial footage showed lines of fire in the trees that looked like interlocking rings.
"Smoke will be persistent throughout the city for the rest of the evening and into tomorrow. No structures are threatened or involved," the Lynn Fire Department said in a Facebook post.
It's been an all-out effort to fight the fires. There were about 50 active in Massachusetts as of Friday morning, including a 20-acre fire burning right now in the Breakheart Reservation in Saugus.
The state Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs has declared a major drought across the state. On a daily basis, fire officials say they are getting reports of buildings being destroyed and houses damaged because of these fires. The state's chief fire warden said the only thing that can stop the situation from getting worse is a season-ending event -- several days of precipitation -- because things right now are unprecedented.
"There's been no thunderstorm systems around to produce the lightning for natural ignitions, so these are all human-caused fires in some form or fashion," said Dave Celino, chief fire warden.
So at the moment, the state Department of Conservation and Recreation has implemented a temporary ban of all open flame and charcoal fires within state park properties. Many towns have followed suit.
