Red flag warning means fires are at high risk of spreading

MIDDLETON – Massachusetts is under a red flag warning again on Tuesday as dozens of brush fires continue burning across the state.
The National Weather Service issued the red flag warning through 6 p.m. for all of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. 
“A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly,” the agency said. “Any fires that start may spread rapidly and become difficult to extinguish.”
Outdoor burning is not recommended during a red flag warning, and many Massachusetts communities have announced burn bans during the dry stretch.  
Despite cooler temperatures on Tuesday, the fire risk is high because of ongoing drought conditions and the potential for wind gusts between 25-40 mph.
“The winds will be picking up out of the northwest,” WBZ-TV chief meteorologist Eric Fisher said. “Those strong wind gusts are one of the biggest factors in the ability of some of these brush fires to spread.”
The latest wildfire activity briefing from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation says that there have been 247 fires in November, burning nearly 700 acres of land.
The largest new fire was at Mt. Gilead in the Lynn Woods Reservation. Firefighters had contained 20% of the 415-acre fire as of Sunday evening. The Cain Hill fire in the Lynn/Salem area was reported to be 140 acres and 60% contained. 
“While there have been fires in Lynn Woods over the years, we have not had a fire of this size in almost 30 years,” the Lynn Fire Department said in a Facebook post Monday.   
A fire in the Boxford State Forest in North Andover escaped containment over the weekend and grew to 128 acres. Crews from New Hampshire and Maine are helping to battle the fire, and a National Guard helicopter dropped buckets of water on the flames Monday.
The Middleton Pond fire has burned 242 acres and is 80% contained. Gov. Maura Healey visited the Middleton Fire Department Tuesday morning to thank firefighters, who have been battling fires in the area for weeks. 
Authorities say almost all of the fires have been caused by humans, with several being traced back to abandoned campfires that were not properly extinguished. Healey said three firefighters in the state have been hurt while trying to put out flames.
“Now is not the time to burn leaves. Now is not the time to go outside and light a fire out back and sit around,” Healey said. “My ask to the public is that you do everything you can to minimize the risks.”