Emergency crews battle bushfires in Wilmington forest – news, weather, sports from Boston

WILMINGTON, MASS. (WHDH) – Firefighters responded to a brush fire in Wilmington, near the Woburn line, early Thursday afternoon.

Emergency crews from multiple agencies arrived on scene as the fire spread to several acres in Wilmington’s urban forest.

North Reading and Middleton brought in tankers while officers used a drone to try to find the source of the smoke.

“We have crews with us now. We estimate there are about three to four acres of land burning right now,” said Wilmington Fire Chief Bill Cavanaugh.

Massachusetts Environmental Police officers drove into the forest in all-terrain vehicles, while a district chief with the Department of Conservation and Recreation Forest Fire Control used a GPS mapping system to provide emergency responders with the exact location of the fire.

Firefighters proceed cautiously to avoid injuries.

“The fire is spreading through the base, burning to the roots due to the drought, and we may have trees on firefighters, so this is a ‘caution’ situation,” DCR Fire Control District Chief Brian Mayer said. “You would keep your distance and introduce risk management.”

The fire is surrounded by water on three sides and Maple Meadow Brook forms a natural barrier. However, wind and drought conditions allow the fire to thrive.

“We did not have much rain as the DCR representative had said. It’s very dry, so it’s running extra fast even though we have water around it, which keeps it off three sides for us. “That’s actually a big help for us right now,” Cavanaugh said.

At 4 p.m. the forest was still on fire

This is a developing news story; Stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest information.

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