Brush Fire Blazes Through Acre at Worcester Sand and Gravel

Photo Credit: Shrewsbury Fire Department 

Firefighters rushed to 182 Holden St. around 1:17 a.m. on Tuesday morning, responding to calls reporting a brush fire at Worcester Sand and Gravel.

When crews arrived, they found that approximately an acre was on fire with flames reaching 40 feet. Tankers were called in from Boylston Fire and Grafton Fire to assist with water supply.

The fire ripped through a disposal area that was used for tree debris and tree stumps, and the large amount of wood caused the fire become very large and difficult to extinguish, said the Shrewsbury Fire Department.

The fire was brought under control at approximately 6:45 a.m. Due to the large amount of fuel for the fire, the weather forecast predicting rain over the next couple of days, and the time it would take to fully extinguish the fire, the decision was made to let the remainder of the fire burn itself out.

Firefighters used heavy equipment on scene to move burning debris piles to assist in extinguishment and to create a barrier to contain the fire. The cause of the fire is undetermined and under investigation at this time.