Fires continue to burn in Connecticut, Massachusetts as Northeast wildfire threat shifts to New England Sunday
In Massachusetts, a large brush fire was sparked late Saturday in a wooded area in Salem, just over 10 miles northeast of Boston. Additionally, more than a dozen wildfires have ignited since last week in Connecticut, forcing the state’s governor to declare a state of emergency.
Northeast wildfire threat shifts to New England on Sunday
An elevated risk of fire weather continues across the Northeast on Sunday, mainly focusing on parts of New England from Connecticut through southern Maine. The highest threat of fire weather conditions is expected in southern New Hampshire, where the National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Warning through sunset on Sunday.
BOSTON – An elevated risk of fire weather continues across the Northeast on Sunday, mainly focusing on parts of New England from Connecticut through southern Maine.
Dry and breezy conditions continue in the wake of a cold front that pushed off the East Coast earlier this weekend in the midst of a near-record-dry stretch, prompting one state to declare an emergency.
(FOX Weather)
The highest threat of fire weather conditions is expected in southern New Hampshire, where the National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Warning through sunset on Sunday.
"The combination of winds gusting up to 35 mph and dry air with relative humidity values falling between 20 and 30 percent is expected to create critical fire weather conditions today," the NWS office in Gray, Maine, wrote in the warning. "Dead and dry vegetation will combine with these weather conditions, leading to the potential of rapid fire growth."
(FOX Weather)
Large areas of the Northeast haven’t seen significant rainfall in about a month, leading October to be one of the driest periods on record. Philadelphia is set to break its 150-year-old record for the longest dry stretch of 29 days on Monday, and this October could be the city's first to go without measurable rain.
According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor, 64% of the region is experiencing unusually dry conditions, with 30% officially seeing drought conditions.
Fires continue to burn in Connecticut, Massachusetts
In Massachusetts, a large brush fire was sparked late Saturday in a wooded area in Salem, just over 10 miles northeast of Boston.
"The brush fire has been smoldering for the past day creating smoky conditions in the area," the City of Salem wrote on X Sunday morning.
Between 60 and 80 acres of forest have been destroyed by the fire, according to a report from Boston 25 News.
Additionally, more than a dozen wildfires have ignited since last week in Connecticut, forcing the state’s governor to declare a state of emergency.
"Due to the critical fire weather conditions Connecticut is continuing to experience, I am declaring a state of emergency," Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont stated. "This will help provide state and local emergency management officials with the necessary tools to monitor and limit the threat of fires statewide."
In addition, Connecticut has called a statewide burn ban, which went into effect Saturday.
"Conditions were beautiful for outdoor activities (Saturday), not so great for fire conditions," Berlin, Connecticut, Fire Chief John Massirio said during a Saturday morning news conference. "There is no burning in state parks, wildlife management areas or any property owned by the state. No campfires, grilling, open flame or heat sources."
The Connecticut National Guard has spent the weekend in helicopters dropping thousands of gallons of water on the Hawthorne Fire burning near Berlin, Connecticut.
The Hawthorne Fire claimed a life when a retired firefighter from Hartford, Connecticut, was killed when his utility task vehicle rolled over while on steep, rocky terrain. Three other firefighters were injured.
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said the combination of dry conditions and fallen leaves has created a unique fire situation in the state.
![Connecticut brush fire]()
Image 1 of 3BERLIN, CONNECTICUT - OCTOBER 24: A helicopter is equipped with a Bambi bucket to fight the brush fire at Lamentation Mountain in Berlin, Conn. Oct. 24, 2024. Firefighters have been fighting the blaze all week and began implementing firefighting helicopters from the National Guard on Wednesday. (Tyler Sizemore/Connecticut Post via Getty Images)
![Connecticut brush fire]()
Image 2 of 3BERLIN, CONNECTICUT - OCTOBER 24: A brush fire continues to burn on Lamentation Mountain in Berlin, Conn. Oct. 24, 2024. Firefighters have been fighting the blaze all week and began implementing firefighting helicopters from the National Guard on Wednesday. (Tyler Sizemore/Connecticut Post via Getty Images) (Tyler Sizemore/Connecticut Post via Getty Images)
![Connecticut brush fire]()
Image 3 of 3BERLIN, CONNECTICUT - OCTOBER 22: Smoke rises from a brush fire still burning on Lamentation Mountain in Berlin, Conn., on Tuesday October 22, 2024. At right are homes at Silver Ridge. (Christian Abraham/Connecticut Post via Getty Images)
All eyes on the humidity
A saving grace for fires could be the relative humidity values, which are expected to generally stay above 30% through the weekend.
The air’s moisture can make fuels less combustible and fires less intense.
In the western U.S., relative humidity values during high-fire events are usually significantly below 20%, which causes erratic wildfire activity.
(FOX Weather)
TRICK-OR-TREATING IN SHORTS? WARM HALLOWEEN ON TAP FOR MANY ACROSS THE US
Another round of active fire weather is expected to take place later this week as temperatures reach the 70s and 80s in the days and hours before Halloween.
On Thursday, cities such as Boston and New York are expecting daytime highs around 75 degrees, with temperatures falling to near 70 degrees after sunset, providing a stark contrast to the usual chilly evenings.
(FOX Weather)
A cold front is expected to trek through the region at the end of the workweek, bringing the best chance of precipitation in several weeks, but rainfall amounts are anticipated to remain on the light side.
Significant drought relief is not in the making before the start of November, meaning the threats of fire activity will likely continue through the extended forecast period.