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Oct 31, 2024

Rutland area fire chiefs put ban on fire pits due to forest fire risk

(Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported that the ban would remain active until a determination was made by the state fire marshal.) RUTLAND — Heavy drought conditions and a

(Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported that the ban would remain active until a determination was made by the state fire marshal.)

RUTLAND — Heavy drought conditions and a recent forest fire that burned through several acres of woods have fire chiefs in the Rutland area telling residents not to use any outdoor fire pits, grills or have any other type of outdoor fire.

"Basically, the chiefs of five towns covered by the Rutland Regional Emergency Center have determined that there will be no outside fires — which means no outdoor fire pits or anything like that," Rutland Fire Chief Seth Knipe said.

The area covered contains the five towns of Rutland, Hubbardston, Barre, Oakham and Warren, and the ban comes after a fire Monday in Barre that burned through an estimated four acres of woodlands before it was put out by local departments.

"That fire was determined to have been caused by someone with an outdoor fire pit," Knipe said. "People think that they have a fire out at the end of the night, but it only takes one strong breeze to pick up embers, and with the drought, and this time of the year with so many dry leaves on the ground, that can turn into a big fire."

The ban will remain active until it is determined that the fire risk has been reduced.

"Each day, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation issues out a warning on the risk of brush fires, so the ban will remain in effect until that risk is no longer classified as high," Knipe said.

Knipe said it would likely take a few days of substantial rainfall to lift the drought conditions that have been going on across the state. A brush fire in Middleton earlier this week burned through approximately 250 acres of land and more than a dozen smaller fires have been reported in other parts of the state.