In response to worsening drought conditions, North Attleborough Fire Chief Christopher Coleman is urging residents to exercise increased caution to reduce fire risks.
The drought, recently escalated to a “Significant” Level 2 in Southeastern Massachusetts, was announced by Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Rebecca Tepper.
“After more than a month of nearly no rain and devastating wildfires, Massachusetts is clearly experiencing significant drought conditions,” said Tepper. “This autumn has felt different for all of us. Climate change is bringing drier weather to our state at times and extreme precipitation at others. It is critical that we all practice water conservation methods, especially indoors, and adhere to local requirements to decrease the stress on our water systems and ensure essential needs… are being met.”
Coleman has also urged North Attleborough residents to take extra precautions, including disposing of cigarettes in metal containers to prevent accidental fires.
“We are monitoring the situation every day…we get daily updates from the fire warden,” he said, emphasizing the importance of vigilance.
The heightened fire risk has caused brush fires to emerge. One recently occurred on Depot Street, burning about an acre before being controlled.
“In cases like this, we rely on surrounding towns—Plainville, Foxboro, and Mansfield—for larger equipment,” said Coleman.
North Attleborough utilizes UTVs for brush fire containment. Equipped with smaller pumps holding around 75 gallons of water, these UTVs are agile enough to access off-road areas, allowing crews to target brush fires deep within wooded zones.
The current drought conditions in the state, specifically in southeastern Massachusetts, are at a critical juncture. With limited precipitation over the past two months, officials are closely coordinating with state and federal agencies to monitor conditions and provide technical assistance to affected towns, following the guidelines outlined in the Massachusetts Drought Management Plan.
