As we pointed out yesterday in an article about wildfires in the Chicago area, it is early March, the time of the year when areas in the northeast United States enter their spring fire season. It’s relatively warm, the snow has melted, the herbaceous vegetation that was killed by last fall’s frost is ready to burn, and green-up has not yet begun.

The Boston Fire Department experienced early evidence of their wildfire season Sunday afternoon when a fire started behind the fire department’s 911 call center and spread along the Muddy River to the Boylston Street Bridge. The dispatchers were the first to report the fire after seeing it on their security cameras. Nine engines responded and had the fire knocked down within 30 minutes.