GRANBY — More than 50 firefighters from the region contained a fast-moving brush fire Tuesday afternoon that grew to about 11 acres in the area of the town’s former landfill at 11 New Ludlow Road.
“This was a major fire event that required local, regional, and statewide resources to manage,” Granby Fire Chief Michael O’Neill said in a statement issued by the state fire marshal’s office. “It began as a small brush fire that was driven by the wind and grew very, very quickly.”
Granby firefighters were first on scene around 2:35 p.m. for the fire, located at the front of the landfill, that began being whipped up by wind and fed by dry vegetation. Multiple alarms were then made that brought in several mutual aid companies before the state’s fire mobilization plan was activated, bringing in statewide task forces.
During the fire, the Granby Fire Department advised people to stay away from the area due to the large amount of smoke generated by the brush fire.
The fire marshal’s office said the fire was contained around 9:30 p.m. O’Neill said there was a possibility that residents nearby might smell the odor of methane overnight as a result of off-gassing from materials burned at the landfill. Fire crews also remained on site overnight as a precaution.
“The cause of the fire hasn’t been determined, but we know that most brush fires begin with human activity,” O’Neill said, adding that both the central and eastern part of the state are in drought and that people should be careful with open flames outside.
“Whether you’re smoking, camping, grilling or using power equipment, please remember that big fires start small and use extra caution,” O’Neill said.
Those who were at the scene included personnel from eight mutual aid companies, the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Bureau of Forest Fire Control, the Fire District 7A Forestry Task Force and members of Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee, along with a Northampton Fire Department ambulance.
The state’s Department of Fire Services deployed a mobile command post known as an Incident Support Unit, the Rehab Unit providing firefighters with a temperature-controlled environment to rest and rehydrate, and the Drone Unit to gather aerial imagery for personnel on the ground.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
