Firefighters from 14 towns finally control Holyoke Range blaze
Firefighters win over steep terrain
Wednesday, September 8, 20101
SOUTH HADLEY - A 12-acre fire on the Holyoke Range that challenged firefighters from 14 towns from Sunday to Tuesday was caused by extremely dry weather.
And if there is no steady rain this month, there could be more fires, officials said.
The fire took place on land owned by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, just west of Route 116 near the borders of Hadley, Amherst and South Hadley. The blaze came close to the Metacomet & Monadnock hiking trail, which was closed from the Notch to the Summit House Monday and Tuesday.
The specific cause is unknown, but about 95 percent of all fires start with people, said Dave Celino, chief fire warden for DCR.
"Hikers need to be aware we are in this high fire danger situation, with fuels out there that are easily ignitable," he said. "They need to be very careful with smoking or campfires or grills, and not leave fires unattended, and make sure they are 100 percent out."
The humidity has been at about 25 percent the last few days, and the drought index for Hampshire County shows a moderate danger of fires, Celino said.
The effort to get the Holyoke Range fire under control was impeded by the remote location and involved an average of 45 firefighters at a time, said South Hadley Fire Chief David Keefe.
"It was extremely difficult to get equipment in because it was along the top of the ridge line," he said.
Smoke on the Holyoke Range was first spotted at Westover Air Force Base and reported at 4:44 p.m. Sunday, Keefe said. Firefighters from South Hadley, Hadley and DCR started battling the blaze on Sunday night and were able to largely contain it, he said.
The steep and rocky site was inaccessible by vehicle, Celino said. Firefighters used hand tools to dig a line around the fire and remove fuel from the ground, then let the fire move into the line, where it would run out of fuel, he said.
On Tuesday, a fire truck was able to get onto an old logging trail, and a hose was hoisted up the mountain to the site of the blaze, Celino said. Firefighters were on the scene Monday and Tuesday extinguishing hot spots and preventing the fire from being rekindled, Keefe said. They expected to continue these operations today, or until the area receives some rain, he said.
Although the fire is largely extinguished, firefighters will stay at the site for several days to make sure it doesnt escape the containment line, Celino said. In such dry conditions, fires can burn and spread underground, he said.
There is a 30 percent chance of scattered showers today, Celino said. "We don't hold much stock in that," he said. "What we need now to reverse the trend is three to four days of steady rain."
If there is no rain before leaves fall from the trees, there would be an elevated hazard because of the greater amount of combustible material, he said. Already, leaves have started to fall from birch and maple trees at higher altitudes because of stress from the drought, he said.
There have been small fires on public and private land in Berkshire and Franklin counties, but this is the largest one in western Massachusetts. over the past month, he said. There have been fires on DCR land in Middlesex County north of Boston, he said.
In 2000, there was a fire on the Holyoke Range that extended for 450 acres, Celino said.
The fire presented a dangerous situation for firefighters, but there were no injuries, he said.
"The fire departments have really taken an interest in training for wildland fires," Celino said. "It was a cooperative effort and it really paid off. They worked long hours and did a fantastic job."
Firefighters from Amherst, Northampton, Hatfield, Shutesbury, Granby, Worthington, Chesterfield, Goshen, Williamsburg, Belchertown, Sunderland and Cummington were also involved, Keefe said.
Food and water were provided to the firefighters by the American Red Cross and Atkins Farm Country Market. Other food and supplies were provided by the Donut Man and Barstow Farms in Hadley, he said.
Nick Grabbe can be reached at ngrabbe@gazettenet.com.
