Berkshire County fire grows to 1,100 acres; No structures threatened yet
A wildfire in western Massachusetts is still not contained, and it is now a lot closer to some structures in Berkshire County.
The fire has now consumed nearly 1,100 acres of rugged mountainside, and it continues to grow due to adverse weather. It was 0% contained as of Wednesday afternoon.
The fire, which was limited to Great Barrington, has now spread into neighboring Sheffield and into the Beartown State Forest.
Firefighters did not battle the flames Tuesday night. The rugged terrain was simply too dark and treacherous.
The fire is also within a quarter-mile of some structures, and firefighters are now working to keep it away.
There are no evacuation orders so far, but that hasn’t been ruled out due to the uncertainty in the coming hours and the coming days.
“Due to the colder weather today, we are expecting the smoke to lay low. We asked the people of Great Barrington, Sheffield not to fear the smoke,” said Chief Ryan Brown, with Lee Fire Department. “We are monitoring the fire progress, but because of weather conditions, the smoke isn’t dissipating like it did yesterday, so we are seeing a more smoky environment than we did yesterday.
People are being asked to keep their windows shut and stay indoors, especially if they have any respiratory ailments.”
The Great Barrington Fire Department is encouraging residents to check their Facebook page for updates.