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Brush Fire Sparks on Brighton Campus

A brush fire burned through a woodsy section on the west side of Brighton Campus around 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon.

First responders received a call about the fire at 2:46 p.m., according to BCPD. Responders drove fire trucks behind Simboli Hall and down to the corner of Lake Street and Undine Road, where Boston College facilities said the fire allegedly sparked.

“Just a leaf fire—could’ve been a cigarette butt or anything,” said Craig Petrie, a worker for BC facilities management. “Shouldn’t be anything major.”

Firefighters extended hoses into the woods where the fire occurred, extinguishing flames and wetting surrounding surfaces where the fire might spread.

Smoke billowed across Brighton Campus and down Commonwealth Avenue, visible from various points of BC’s main campus.

Multiple spectators on the scene at Brighton Campus said they were not evacuated from any buildings, but could smell the smoke from inside and left to see what was happening outside. 

Wildfires have posed an increasing threat across Massachusetts during the past week, where dry, windy conditions prompted a statewide Red Flag Warning from the National Weather Service.

In a press conference Tuesday morning, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey urged the public to take preventative measures against wildfires.

“A lot of these fires that we’re seeing, they’re caused by human behavior,” Healey said, according to NBC Boston. “Now is not the time to burn leaves. Now is not the time to go outside and light a fire out back, and sit around one of our stoves. It’s just not that time.” 

This is a developing story and may be updated.

November 12, 2024

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