PELHAM — Firefighters spent five hours battling a brush fire off Old Pratt Corner Road Saturday afternoon, before they were deterred by a lightning storm.
The Pelham Fire Department responded to a call at 1:25 p.m. for a two-acre brush fire, said Chief Ray Murphy. About 38 people, including support from neighboring towns, battled the blaze, he said.
At 6:30 p.m., firefighters were forced to leave the scene due to a pending lightning storm. According to Murphy, firefighters usually stop at sundown, but the lightning posed a safety issue. Some spots were still burning when firefighters left, Murphy said.
At 7 a.m. Sunday morning, the State Department of Conservation and Recreation Forest Fire Control personnel returned to the scene with fire departments from Pelham, Chesterfield, Windsor, Worthington and Hadley. Murphy said approximately 29 firefighters worked from that time until 6 p.m. to contain the perimeter of the scene.
“The fire is basically centrally located at this point,” he said. “It won’t spread or continue beyond the fire line they developed, but is still smoldering in the center.
He said crews will respond Monday morning as well to evaluate the situation.
Murphy also said Sunday the fire is believed to be the result of a lightning strike from area storms on Friday night. He said there were lots of strikes in neighboring towns that created smoldering fires, and this one appears to be among them.
There were no injuries, and no residents were displaced because the fire is burning on “strictly woodland,” Murphy said.
The Pelham Fire Department was aided Saturday by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation Forest Fire Control, the Pelham Police Department, Amherst Fire Department, Shutesbury Fire Department, Leverett Fire Department and Belchertown Fire Department.
Staff Writer Sarah Crosby contributed to this report.