Dozens of wildfires continue to flare up on the northern coast of Massachusetts and the rest of the state. Firefighters are returning to active areas Tuesday to try to put out those flames.
The fire chief said that as of yesterday, more than 250 acres had burned in Middleton in a wildfire that has spread to North Reading.
Smoke could be seen over Middleton Pond Tuesday morning, as several spots in the forest are still actively burning.
But right now, these flames are not endangering any homes in the area.
Firefighters were driving around monitoring the fires Tuesday morning. They will actively put out hot spots again once the sun rises and visibility improves.
On Monday, helicopters were hovering over the pond and scooping up buckets of water to drop on the flames.
A similar operation will take place in Canton on Tuesday morning, where another wildfire is burning.
And firefighters in Salem, Lynn and Peabody will continue to battle a more than 130-acre wildfire that has spread through those communities.
Douglas LeColst, Middleton Fire Chief, said these fires are too large to extinguish at this time without help from Mother Nature.
“We’re sure most of it is contained, (but) it’s going to burn for days,” he said. “You know, we’re not going to extinguish the fire. Our goal is just to contain it, and we’re pretty sure we’re going in the right direction. So there will be smoke in the area for a considerable time until we get good rain. That’s what we need “.
Brush fires have also been reported in other New England states in recent days. Dry conditions contributed to dozens of fires in Maine over the weekend, including a large one in Buckfield that spanned five acres. And in Rhode Island, firefighters responded to a brush and boat fire in Johnston on Monday morning.
Why do I smell smoke in the greater Boston area?
Obviously, the smoke from these fires is affecting many of us.
Throughout the Boston area, you can actually smell the smoke from those fires due to a weather phenomenon called inversion. This is when warm air traps cold air and smoke near the ground, and that can be a problem for air quality because smoke from wildfires has been shown to carry pollutants.
“The reason you might want to be even more cautious on days when there’s smoke is because of that extra toxicity,” said Jennifer Stowell of the Boston University School of Public Health. “The biggest concern is for people who already have underlying conditions.”
He said that may mean limiting outdoor activities if you have a respiratory condition like asthma and, at a minimum, keeping an eye on air quality conditions.
Due to the wind direction in Middleton and North Reading, the air quality index in the area is between 52 and 56, according to the AirNow Fire and Smoke Mapwhich places it as moderate, meaning people sensitive to smoke should limit exposure.
But the fire burning in Salem, Lynn and Peabody is a different story. There, the air quality is considered unhealthy, ranging between 130 and 189. That means everyone should take precautions and reduce outdoor activity.
And in Saugus, which is downwind of both fires, the air quality is considered very unhealthy, at 220 degrees, so everyone is advised to limit or avoid outdoor physical activity.
“Air pollution in general can have immediate and long-term effects, depending on the amount of exposure and intensity,” said Dr. Wynne Armand, an internist at Mass General Brigham. “In addition, some of the milder immediate effects could be irritation of the throat or eyes, or even exacerbation of skin conditions such as eczema; more serious symptoms may be difficulty breathing, cough, chest pain, palpitations “.
Health experts say people with underlying health problems, the very young and the very old should take extra precautions.
