Massachusetts fire death under investigation as dangerous fire weather continues across Northeast
Massachusetts officials are investigating an outdoor fire death that happened during an elevated fire risk on Saturday. Dry and windy weather is forecast to continue across the Northeast this week, creating hazardous conditions that would allow fires to quickly spread.
Record dry stretch continues to fuel fire dangers in Northeast
The Northeast U.S. remains under an elevated fire weather threat on Monday due to dry vegetation, winds and low relative humidity. Cities including New York and Philadelphia are approaching record dry streaks.
MILLBURY, Mass. – An investigation is underway in Massachusetts after a woman died during an outdoor fire over the weekend amid the ongoing elevated wildfire threat across the Northeast.
Authorities in Millbury responded to a small brush fire on Saturday night. Massachusetts state troopers found the victim next to an encampment, where the fire likely started. The Millbury Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire, which happened when parts of the state were under a Fire Weather Warning. According to the state fire marshal, both the death and the cause of the fire are under investigation.
Millbury Fire Department vehicle.
(Massachusetts Department of Fire )
On Sunday, more brush fires broke out in Salem and Middleton, about 30 minutes outside of Boston. The Middleton Fire Department said the fire was burning near powerlines and estimated the firefight would "likely be a multi-day event." Authorities said the Salem fire had grown to more than 100 acres before crews left the area for the night. Both fires were being monitored and multiple agencies were helping to get the blaze under control.
The death over the weekend comes after weeks of dry conditions in the Northeast have led to dozens of fires, including the Hawthorne Fire in Connecticut, which claimed the life of a retired firefighter when his utility task vehicle rolled over while on steep, rocky terrain. Three other firefighters were injured during the incident.
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Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont issued a state of emergency due to the ongoing fire threat for the state.
Heading into Halloween, Connecticut Emergency Management and Homeland Security officials are warning residents not to light jack-o-lanterns or other flames.
Dry stretch continues
A near-record stretch without rain is driving the fire weather across the Northeast.
New York City and Philadelphia are approaching four weeks of dry weather.
In New York City, the driest stretch on record happened in 1924, with 36 consecutive dry days. This record could be at risk without measurable rain in the next two weeks.
(FOX Weather)
Philadelphia's driest stretch happened in 1874, with 29 consecutive days without measurable rain. The city is highly likely to break the record on Monday.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, in addition to the dry conditions, newly fallen leaves are drying out, setting up conditions ripe for wildfires to spread.
(FOX Weather)
With another significant warmup expected during the middle to latter part of this week, the overall fire threat will likely become extreme again as the end of October approaches.