Red Flag Warning issued to state of Massachusetts due to brush fires

By Kelly Egan

A Red Flag Warning was issued to nearly the entire state of Massachusetts on Wednesday due to possible brush fire conditions.

On Wednesday, the National Weather Service warned Massachusetts residents that the state’s conditions would make it harder to put out brush fires. 

According to the National Weather Service, a red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring at that time, or will shortly. 

 “Any fires that start may spread rapidly and become difficult to extinguish,” said the National Weather Service.

The agency also said that outdoor burning is highly advised against during one of these warnings. All Massachusetts counties except for Berkshire County were included.

The red flag call was initiated by an excessive amount of brush fires occurring in the state over the past week. The fires have taken out hundreds of acres of land, including a 200-acre fire in Middleton on Tuesday that led the fire department to put a temporary ban on using open flames and other ignition devices outdoors until further notice.