Crews from Maine, N.H. help Mass. fight brush fires across state

NORTH ANDOVER – Crews from Maine and New Hampshire are making the trek down to Massachusetts to help the state battle large brush fires.
On Monday the National Guard was helping firefighters battle brush fires by dropping buckets of water from the air on Boxford State Forest in North Andover.
“We just are fortifying that perimeter, just making sure that we’re working 20 to 30 feet in soaking it down incredibly basically turning it to mud. The unburned side we are using leaf blowers and rakes to blow everything away and wetting that down,” North Andover Deputy Fire Chief Graham Rowe said.
Rowe says the biggest challenge with this brush fire is poor cell reception in the area and accessibility to water.
“We have running tankers our closest fill-up station is about half a mile away so they have to rotate in to fill up the tankers. Cell service is bad and radio communication because of the thick brush,” he said.
Brush fires have been raging across Massachusetts for three weeks. The state is currently experiencing a severe drought.
About 10 miles away from the North Andover fires, grounds crews at the Gannon Golf Course in Lynn were busy keeping a close watch on the brush fires that closed down the greens.
“It sort of popped over from the other side of the reservoir you can’t quite see it in through here because there’s no water anymore it’s all dry. It sort of jumped and then it started and made its way up and to the middle, to the 13th hole,” Gannon Golf Pro David Sibley said.
Golfer Lisa Franklin is making the most of it despite only being able to play the first nine holes.
“I say hats off to all the firefighters that are doing such a great job,” Franklin said.
The National Weather Service issues a red flag warning for all of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut for Tuesday due to the new fires, high wind gusts, and dry weather. They also advise people to avoid any outdoor burning.
If you see a brush fire near you call 911.