The New England Signal
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Massachusetts

Massachusetts Guard called up as wildfire from New York burns into Williamstown

A small team of Guard members will fly water drops over hard-to-reach ground, while a state drone crew tracks the fire's heat from above.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Gov. Maura Healey on Monday, Oct. 26, ordered members of the Massachusetts National Guard to back up firefighters battling a wildfire that crossed the state line from New York into Williamstown, The Boston Globe reported.

The blaze began as a brush fire on the morning of Oct. 25 in Berlin, N.Y., a town near Williamstown. By Monday night it had burned nearly 160 acres, according to the Globe, while state officials estimated the total at 157 acres.

A Healey spokesperson said about eight Guard members were being called up, the Globe reported. Firefighters have had difficulty hiking into isolated, stony stretches of the burn, and state officials said the Guard would take to the air to hit those spots with water.

Healey said the state's first priority was supporting local firefighters as they work to contain the fire. "We will continue to do everything we can to keep residents safe," she said in a statement, according to the Globe.

A separate team from the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services is flying a drone over the fire, and state officials said it would capture heat-sensing pictures for crews on the scene.

Chief Dias told The Berkshire Eagle on Oct. 26 that Williamstown homes and residents faced no immediate threat, the Globe reported. He said water drops were scheduled for Oct. 27 and that he expected the fire to be fully contained by that evening.

The details in this story come from the Globe's reporting, the only account reviewed.

Massachusetts