One woman killed as wildfires pop up across Massachusetts

A woman was killed in one of at least two wildfires that broke out in Massachusetts towns on Saturday as the state’s drought worsened.

In Millbury, a small forest fire in an encampment resulted in the death of the woman whose identity has not been released, fire officials said. Massachusetts State Police say around 8:20 p.m., an officer responded to reports of a small fire at the Blackstone River Bikeway near the Route 146 bike path. After finding the victim in a nearby encampment, he contacted the Millbury Fire Department, who had completely extinguished the fire.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

In Salem, another brush fire started near the Walmart on Highland Avenue, between Cain Road and Old Village Drive in Salem. Photos and videos spread across social media show smoke blanketing the sky, as well as a long line of wildfires.

The Salem Fire Department is still working to extinguish a brush fire. The city urged residents in a statement on Sunday morning to avoid the nearby area.

Both fires come as the state is under a Red Flag Warning – any outdoor fire can spread quickly and be difficult to extinguish – and there is still an increased fire risk. Recently there has been a drought New England has deterioratedcreating a greater risk of forest fires in a windy area.

“New England isn’t really known for its droughts. We’ve seen them,” said Ken Mahan, the Globe’s chief meteorologist. “It’s not completely rare, but it’s unique right now because you’re talking about August, September and October as some of the wettest months on record in all of New England, and it’s been the exact opposite over the last 90 days.”

He says more than 85 percent of New England is abnormally dry, with 20 percent experiencing a moderate drought that has caused problems in recent weeks.

“Drought may be less of a concern in the fall because the growing season has ended and there is typically less heat and evaporation that exacerbate dry conditions,” Jessica Spaccio, a climatologist at the Northeast Regional Climate Center, told the Globe. “That said, dry conditions can still contribute to low water levels needed for drinking water, fall crops and fire hazards.”

Steph Ware can be reached at [email protected].