Braintree Battles Weekend Brush Fire As Red Flag Warning Remains

BRAINTREE, MA — Firefighters battled two brush fires over the weekend, with one developing into a severe situation.

Braintree officials were at the scene of a smaller brush fire near the Commuter Rail tracks in the Highlands neighborhood on Friday night, but a bulk of their efforts were in the Echo Lake area of the town.

Red flag conditions, which announce severe fire conditions, were active on Friday ahead of the fire, which saw access is limited with poor visibility and heavy smoke in the area behind Skyline Drive.

The fire eventually rose to a third-alarm.

On Tuesday, officials said they "continue to monitor hot spots and flare ups in various locations, especially in the Echo Lake area."

"With little rain in sight, these fires will continue to smolder and flare up throughout the coming days," officials said. "Again, a [red flag] warning is in place for extreme fire spread danger. Along with changing temperatures and humidity levels, smoke will also linger."