Multiple crews work to put out large brush fire in Great Barrington

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. (WWLP) - Multiple fire crews have been sent to Great Barrington for a large forest fire on Tuesday. The brush fire is burning in the area of Camp Eisner on Brookside Road in Great Barrington. Smoke may be visible in parts of Monterey through Tuesday, however, there is no threat to the town at this time.

MAP: Camp Eisner in Great Barrington

The Monterey Fire Department is helping to assist the Great Barrington Fire Department in putting out the fire, and the Otis Volunteer Fire Department is providing station coverage.

Weather Alert

A Red Flag Warning has been issued for high brush fire danger on Tuesday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for all of western Massachusetts.

A Red Flag Warning is the highest level of caution issued by the National Weather Service and is issued when dry conditions meet high wind speeds. This means that critical fire weather conditions are occurring, and any fires that start may spread rapidly and become difficult to extinguish.

Ongoing wildfire incidents

As of 5 p.m. on Monday, the Massachusetts DCR Bureau of Forest Fire Control and Forestry issued a list of the following wildfires that are ongoing.

• Thomas Road (NEW FIRE): North Andover, Boxford State Forest. 220 Acres at 10% contained. started just before 10:00 last night and is
  now 220 acres just east of the Old Forest Rd Fire from last week. No immediate residential values at risk.
• Houghtons Path (NEW FIRE): Milton, Blue Hills State Reservation. 41 Acres at 10% contained. Active fire behavior with running and backing
  fire. Intermittent wind driven down slope runs. Indirect strategy with burnout operations being used to anchor the perimeter to existing
  trails and Hillside Rd. Smoke impacts on immediate area.
• Mt. Gilead: Lynn, MA. Lynn Woods Reservation. Currently at 440 Acres, 50% contained. Smoldering and creeping fire on the interior.
  Most areas along the perimeter looking strong. No growth reported today.
• Crag Mountain South: Northfield, MA. 5 acres and 85% containment. Local resources continue to patrol and monitor.
• Old Forest Road: North Andover, MA. Located in Boxford State Forest. Estimated at 134 acres and 60% containment. Resources
  continue to mop‐up and patrol today. Increase in acres due to more detailed mapping. No growth on fire.
• Cain Hill Fire: 140+ acres and 60% containment. Smoldering interior over most of the fire in heavy surface fuels.
• Middleton Pond: Middleton and North Reading, MA. 242 acres and 60% containment. Creeping and surface fire again today in
  leaf litter areas that were not burned, and moderate to heavy smoldering on the interior. Continued patrol of perimeter.
• Pappas Fire: Canton, MA. 33 Acres and 90% containment. Low smoldering activity in the interior.
• Traders Way: Salem, MA. 15 Acres at 85% containment. No new activity. Local FD monitoring
• Bradway: Monson, MA. Located on Bradway Rd. Mapped at 44 acres, 90% Contained. No new information.
• Castle Rock: Saugus, MA., Breakheart State Reservation. Increased acres to 24, 60% contained. Heavy smoldering. Mop up continues.
• Fitzgerald: Northampton, MA. 55 Acres, 85% Contained. Resources continue to patrol and monitor. Light smoldering interior.
• Moose Meadow: Montgomery, MA. 60 acres and 80% contained. Successful mop up this weekend on interior heat.
• FD05111: Georgetown, MA. Currently 10 Acres, estimated 75 % containment. Located in the Georgetown Rowley State Forest. Fire is in
  Patrol and Monitor status.
• Fern: Saugus, MA. 20 Acres at 70% containment. Located on Breakheart Reservation. Smoldering continues on the interior.
• Braintree Brush: Braintree, MA. 40 acres and 80% contained. Small area of escape today on southern perimeter. Heavy smoldering
  along the line and interior. Smoldering and smoke generation continues in the interior.
• Pine Hill: Foxborough, MA. Currently 10 acres and 90% contained. Patrol and monitoring is ongoing. l
• Depot: Whately, MA. estimated 2 acres and 85% contained. Interior smoldering continues. Local and DCR Fire continue to patrol and
  monitor.
• Rocky Pond: Boylston, MA: 2 acres and 70% contained. In Patrol and mop up. Snags and weakened trees inside perimeter.
• Franklin Well #8: Franklin, Ma. 12 Acres at 80% contained. Early morning fire with moderate rates of spread. Heavy smoldering and
  creeping fire behavior. In patrol and mop up status.

Wildfires in Massachusetts

• October: 213 fires- 841 acres burned
• November: 403 fires - 1,036 acres burned
• 1,179 total fires in 2024 so far - 2.420 acres burned