Fairhaven Firefighters Battle Brush Fire

A fast-moving brush fire burned three acres in East Fairhaven Wednesday.

At approximately 4:55pm, a police officer patrolling on Sconticut Neck Road noticed a heavy volume of smoke in the area near where the fire was found. Two fire engines and a brush fire unit were dispatched to fight the fire. Mutual aid assistance was also received from the Acushnet Fire Department, who provided an 1800-gallon water tanker.

The fire began in an area behind G. Bourne Knowles and Co. Landscapers, and quickly burned through brush and marsh grass reaching the Phoenix Bike Path, pushed by a strong southerly wind.

A large portion of wood fencing along the bike path was damaged by the fire. No other structures in the patch of the fire were damaged.

Fourteen firefighters were on scene for an hour and a half stretching long hoses into the brush to extinguish the fire. Due to the large area of land that was burning, almost 4,500 gallons of water were required to fully extinguish the fire. According to Deputy Chief Todd Correia, the fire was caused by an improperly extinguished open burning permit fire. No injuries were reported and all fire apparatus were clear of the scene by 6:30 p.m.

Wayne Oliveira, Public Information Officer for the Fairhaven Fire Dept. reminds citizens to make sure that permit fires are fully extinguished before leaving it unattended for the night. Open burning season runs from January 15th until May 1st each year. Permits are required at no charge at Fairhaven Fire headquarters. Burning hours run from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., at which time fires must be fully extinguished.

--Fairhaven Fire Department