One woman killed in Massachusetts wildfires

A woman died in one of at least two wildfires that broke out in Massachusetts towns on Saturday as drought conditions worsened across the state.

In Millbury a small fire in the camp led to death Firefighters said the woman, whose identity has not been released, was released. Massachusetts State Police say that around 8:20 p.m., an officer responded to a report of a small fire on the Blackstone River Bike Path near the Highway 146 bike path. After locating the victim at a nearby campsite, he contacted the Millbury Fire Department, which completely extinguished the fire.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of the fire is being investigated.

In Salem, another fire started near the Walmart on Highland Avenue, between Kane Road and Old Village Drive in Salem. Photos and videos spread across social media showed smoke clouding the sky and a long line of fire.

The Salem Fire Department is still working to extinguish the wildfire. In a statement Sunday morning, city officials urged residents to avoid nearby areas.

Both fires come as the state is under a red flag – any outdoor fire can spread quickly and be difficult to put out – and there remains an increased fire risk. Recently there has been a drought in New England got worsewhich creates a greater risk of wildfires in windy regions.

“New England isn’t really known for droughts. We’ve seen them from time to time,” said Ken Mahan, the Globe’s lead meteorologist. “It’s not exactly uncommon, but it’s unique at this point because August, September, October are some of the wettest months on record in New England, and over the last 90 days the situation has been the exact opposite.”

He says more than 85 percent of New England is abnormally dry and 20 percent is experiencing moderate drought, which has led to problems over the past couple of weeks.

“Drought may be less of a concern in the fall because the growing season is over and heat and evaporation tend to exacerbate dry conditions,” Jessica Spaccio, a climate scientist at the Northeast Regional Climate Center, told the Globe. “However, dry conditions may still contribute to low water levels needed for drinking water, fall harvests and fires.”

Steph Ware can be reached at [email protected].