25 Acres Burned In Marlborough Before Desert Brush Fire Contained

MARLBOROUGH, MA — A brush fire that broke out Friday morning in Marlborough took more than two days to contain and burned over 25 acres, according to the Marlborough Fire Department.

The large brush fire erupted just before noon Friday about one mile off Concord Road in the 615-acre Desert Natural Area Conservation Land — a unique pitch pine forest in Marlborough with desert-like sandy soil.

A regional brush fire task force battled the fire all day Friday, but the fire resurged on Saturday, forcing Marlborough police to close Concord Road due to smoke and fire conditions. Smoke from the fire traveled across the region, driving 911 calls from residents in Natick, Sudbury and beyond.

Over the weekend, some 50 fire departments pitched in to help Marlborough fight the blaze.

Firefighters battled high temperatures and weather that was especially bad for brush fires. The National Weather Service issued several fire weather advisories last week due to high winds, low humidity and the recent severe drought.

Marlborough reported that the fire was 100 percent contained on Sunday afternoon, although smoke from the fire still lingered in the region into Monday morning. A round of rain showers in Massachusetts Monday was expected to help keep the fire contained.