What Great Barrington FD has learned since Butternut fire
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GREAT BARRINGTON, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Nearly four months after a brush fire ripped through Berkshire County, Great Barrington Fire Chief Scott Turner recalled what he would do differently the next time a brush fire comes around.
The "Butternut" fire spread about 1,760 acres across Massachusetts last November. Chief Turner said it was the biggest fire he's ever seen in Massachusetts.
“It definitely is yeah, most fires in the area don’t go beyond a 25-30 acres,” said Turner. "I could see the glow from right near my house which is about five to six miles away."
Chief Turner said the fire burned near Camp Eisner on Brookside Road in Great Barrington. He said no one expected the fire to spread as quickly as it did.
“It probably grew over 100 acres overnight, which is not normal for that type of weather conditions," said Turner. “It was just kind of just creeping along, it wasn't moving very fast, but I feel like the winds picked up a little bit overnight and helped push it along and did that again each night."
Turner said most of the time, fires will spread rapidly during the day when the winds are high, but this particular brush fire, spread at night. Nearly 300 firefighters responded to the Butternut fire and were able to contain it just before Thanksgiving. However, looking back, Turner said he would've done some things differently.
“We weren't prepared for that fire growth,” said Turner. “If something like that were to happen again, we would call an incident command team much earlier.”
Now, spring brush fire season is officially here. Turner said spring fires typically spread much quicker than fires in the fall. Yet, the department has already taken measures to stay prepared.
“We altered our brush truck a little bit," said Turner. "Between that and just making sure we have the proper PBE for it, the shirts and pants and helmets for it."
“The good thing is we don't have to worry about another fire there for another three to four years," said Turner.
Plus, the open burning season in Massachusetts ends in May. For more information on how to safely burn, including getting a permit, visit the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services website.