A Message from Medfield Fire Chief Carrico ...

Weather Conditions Fuel Fires in Medfield...

Medfield Fire Chief Carrico has confirmed that there were two small fires in Rocky Woods in Medfield on Tuesday, September 22, 2020.

Medfield resident Jonathan Bernstein was in Rocky Woods and posted this on social media, "I was riding (mountain biking) with a friend yesterday evening in Rocky woods when we both smelled smoke. Taking a trail on the backside of Echo Pond, we saw open flames and smoke coming from an area not far from the lake. We were able to smother the open flames with some bark but the burn area (about 6 to 8 feet in diameter at this point) was advancing through the ultra-dry peat of the soil itself. A nice breeze added to the danger of sparks. By this time others had joined us and someone called 911 to get the fire department. I searched my backpack and found some plastic bags, with which I was able to repeatedly gather pond water and douse the perimeter of the burning ground to slow it down. Eventually the fire department came and extinguished the area."

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Situational Awareness Statement on 9/22 at 10:25am stated, "Fire Danger - Red Flag and High Wind Warnings for Today". A combination of dry weather and high winds has resulted in the National Weather Service (NWS) issuing a Red Flag Warning for all of Massachusetts for today. In addition, the NWS has issued a High Wind Warning for coastal communities for today and into tonight as a result of Hurricane Teddy which is expected to be situated 350 miles east of Massachusetts tonight. Northerly wind gusts of 40 to 55 mph are likely across Cape Cod and up to 60 mph on Nantucket. No rain is expected for several days.

In addition on 9/22, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), reported, A very dry air mass will combine with gusty winds and dry fuels such as grass, leaves and twigs to produce the potential for high rates of fire spread across Massachusetts today. Minimum relative humidity values are predicted to decrease to between 25 and 35 percent with dry northerly winds in the interior parts of the state and 35 to 40 percent along the coast and southeast. Given the forecast, fire resources should expect continued drying of fuels and increased fire spread potential.

The U.S. Fire Administration / FEMA has posted a guide (dated 9/22) titled "Include Everyone in Community Wildfire Preparedness. Click HERE to READ.

MEMA Operations The State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) at MEMA Headquarters in Framingham is currently operating at Level 1 (Steady State Monitoring).

MEMA will continue to monitor and provide updated situational awareness statements as needed. Stay Informed: Ut Utilize Massachusetts Alerts to receive emergency notifications and information from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service. Massachusetts Alerts is a free app that is available for Android and iPhones. To learn more about Massachusetts Alerts, and for information on how to download the free app onto your smartphone, visit: http://www.mass.gov/service-details/massachusetts-alerts-smartphone-app.

William C. Carrico II
Fire Chief/EMD
Medfield Fire, 112 North Street