A quick response and broad mutual aid support allowed the Greenfield Fire Department and the Deerfield Fire District to extinguish brush fires that encompassed an estimated 17 to 20 acres along the railroad tracks on Tuesday afternoon while preventing damage to surrounding buildings and vehicles.
“It was a tremendous effort on a lot of different fires, not only in Greenfield but in Deerfield as well. They worked very hard in very difficult conditions,” Greenfield Fire Chief Robert Strahan recounted on Wednesday afternoon. “The on-duty staff and their quick action minimized impact in what could have been a significant event.”
At approximately 3 p.m. on Tuesday, crews were called to the railroad tracks near Wisdom Way in Greenfield, spanning down into Deerfield, for what Strahan described as a “rapidly spreading” 2-mile-long fire.
“We’re not sure the exact cause, but as the train passed, it sparked fires along the tracks,” Strahan noted.
Strahan said the fire was upgraded to a fourth alarm for the 12 to 15 acres in Greenfield, and a second alarm for the approximately 5 acres in Deerfield.
In Deerfield, Assistant Fire Chief Ben Clark said crews were called in immediately, and he was grateful that so many volunteer firefighters were able to respond. Full-time departments responded as well, with emergency personnel coming from across Franklin County and beyond, including Northampton, Amherst and Vernon, Vermont.
Clark added that fires caused by passing trains are common.
“This is a continuous issue with the railroad,” Clark said. “We are dealing with lack of maintenance and cleanup along the tracks, and it’s a continuous problem.”
In Greenfield, the fire threatened buildings such as RegalCare, All-Purpose Storage and nearby houses, Clark said. While there were no structures in direct proximity to the tracks in Deerfield, there were some utility trucks. No vehicles or structures were damaged in either community.
Strahan said efforts to contain the fire and keep it from spreading were essential, as were efforts to keep the public away from the area to let firefighters do their work. Road closures were set up on Wisdom Way, Laurel Street and Interstate 91.
“We had fire that spread to the highway. Just on the highway was about 3 acres. We could barely see the engine through the smoke,” Strahan said. “It was very dangerous having traffic going through all the smoke.”
During brush fires like the one crews fought on Tuesday, Strahan said the top priorities are breaking up the fire so it can’t spread and protecting structures. Strahan said that by 5 p.m., the fire was under control, and Clark said crews were leaving the scene by approximately 6:30 p.m. By the time the evening rainstorm rolled in, the brush fires had already been extinguished, but firefighters still welcomed the rain.
“We’re thankful to have the rain. We were out of there by the time the rain came through, but if we hadn’t had that rain, we would have to do a fire watch,” Clark noted.
With weather conditions being dry, Clark said the fire departments would have to keep an eye out for future fires, but the rain helped soak the area and any remaining embers.
Strahan added that brush fires are common at this time of year, but this fire was uncommonly large for a developed area in the city. He commended the quick response of the on-duty staff and all those who responded to prevent the fire from spreading further.
“It had the potential of being a very significant event for Greenfield,” Strahan said. “It was probably the largest fire I’ve seen in Greenfield in a populated area in the time I’ve been with the department.”
