A brush fire in a marshy area, or fen, in Boston received a lot of attention Thursday afternoon when dense black smoke affected much of the metropolitan area.
The fire was knocked down after a couple of hours. A police officer at the scene was transported to a hospital, but no information was provided about the officer’s condition or the nature of the injury.
The Fenway Fens brush fire “broke out in an area of reeds that are six to seven feet tall” https://t.co/Dt1Uor4wyn pic.twitter.com/DS6o67PDfA
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) April 28, 2016
[3p] An animation of smoke dispersal per our radar of the brush fire over #Fens in #Boston. pic.twitter.com/IDHKgOQNPD
— NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) April 28, 2016
Apparently reporters in the Boston area, and possibly fire department spokesmen, are not often tasked with covering vegetation fires:
From the Boston Herald:
According to Boston Fire spokesman Steve MacDonald, the fire was reported at about 2:15 p.m. and appears to have been caused by weeds and leaves that are burning along the Muddy River.
And from WCVB:
After the flames were knocked down, firefighters were seen trekking through the scorched brush with hoses.
Photos from the Fenway brush fire: https://t.co/pXkgrL5ZI1 pic.twitter.com/MDzM0zMkwX
— FOX25 News Boston (@fox25news) April 28, 2016
Was on tour of #fenwaypark during the fire in #Fenway pic.twitter.com/yht92qCK56
— Jeffrey Zeh (@FreewheelinJeff) April 28, 2016
Are brushfires common in Boston? I may be moving there within the next few months and just want to be prepared for any types of conditions. I hope everyone involved was ok and things are ok now. http://www.ecohort.com/home/page/bushfire-protection
No. Brush fires are very uncommon in Boston, hence this instance making the news. Brush and forest fires of the size, intensity, frequency and destruction seen out west are virtually (but not totally) unheard of in the Northeast.
Looks like Phragmites. Nasty plant.