After pegging its size at around 100 acres Tuesday, officials say the Butternut Fire grew far beyond their expectations overnight.
“Basically, the weather in New England is about as predictable as it is not. So, the weather didn't follow the models that we were hoping it would follow. The fire got ahead of us. We have made great progress today, and have put some things in the way of the fire that are help keeping it in check," said Lee Fire Chief Ryan Brown, the point person for the wildfire response. “Based on the ground and aerial observations, we believe it is at about 1,146 acres at this time. As you all may well know, the town of Great Barrington declared a state of emergency yesterday. However, it's very important for us to remember at no time has there been a threat to homes or other structures. There is no immediate danger to the residents. There are no plans to recommend evacuations. If that changes, we will communicate that information clearly and well in advance.”
The fire has officially crossed the town line between Great Barrington and Sheffield.
Brown addressed the heavy smoke that hung over the region throughout the day.
“Unfortunately, the atmospheric conditions that we are experiencing are holding smoke close to the ground," he said. "We are sharing information from the MassDPH on the Great Barrington Fire Department Facebook page regarding health concern tips.”
While the fire has come within a quarter mile of some occupied residences, the chief said the response had adjusted to halt its movement.
“We have put firebreaks in place to stop the spread of the fire into the occupied areas of town, and that is a huge, formidable manpower task," said Brown. "And that is the significant progress we talk of.”
Speaking to reporters at field headquarters at the Great Barrington fairgrounds site, Brown addressed misinformation about the extent of the fire.
“There's been no fire incursion onto the ski resort at Butternut," he said. "There were some social media reports that that was aflame. Those have proven to be false.”
He also retracted a statement he issued at a press conference earlier in the day.
“The fire is not encroaching on Beartown State Forest, that was misinformation that we got this morning," Brown admitted. "It is affecting, however, a portion of the Appalachian Trail. That section of the trail has been closed.”
Chief Fire Warden of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Dave Celino broke down the science behind the fire’s explosive growth Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
“We lost the winds last night," he explained. "And so, what happens is the fire went fuel driven because the super dry fuels, and it's affected by topography, the steep slopes, and the fuels sort of drove the fire. And so, all night long, it just kind of chugged along, chewing up those fuels.”
Celino says while the fire remains effectively uncontained, it doesn’t mean the worst.
“This one's going to be a tough one," he said. "It's challenging, and the only reason it's 0% contained is we don't have any anchor points around the perimeter. It doesn't mean that it's running rampant. What it means is that we don't call it contained until it comes up against a hardpacked road, a body of water, somewhere where at the end of the shift, we know it's not going to break out of that perimeter.”
The warden noted that wildfires are part of a regular cycle.
“It's a natural effect on the landscape, really," Celino continued. "So, the landscape is burned, but it's not the first time that this landscape is burned, and it's probably not going to be the last time. And so, it's a fire effect on the landscape, and there'll be positive effects that come out of it years down the road in regeneration and natural fire effects.”
While precipitation is expected Thursday, Celino said it’s a fraction of what’s needed to make a meaningful impact on the fire.
“It's drought induced fire conditions, and so, we've got a number of large fires across the state," he said. "They're burning deep into the organic soils. The inch or inch and a half of rain that we're gratefully accepting tomorrow is not going to penetrate into those soil layers, and so many of these fires will burn into snow or a season ending event, if you will.”
The cause of the fire remains undetermined beyond being a human one. Officials say containing the fire is the top priority before attempting to ascertain how and where it started.
A change in the wind sent the thick smoke that blanketed Great Barrington and its surrounding communities north to other Berkshire communities like Lenox, Lee, and Pittsfield late in the day.
