VIDEO: Days of dry air set the stage for brush fires across New Hampshire on Thursday. Fire crews were called shortly before 2 p.m. after reports of smoke in the air. The fire was located about a mile into the woods behind the North Hampton School. “That took some time, and approximately half an hour later, the location was found, but we still needed to get out there,” said Rye Fire Department Chief Mark Cotreau.
“The crews had a lot of heavy, large trees that were burning, and those continued to be a problem for us. The fire is about a mile into the woods, and there’s really no other road access to it,” said Rye Fire Department Deputy Chief Kevin Wunderly.
The fire sent plumes of smoke into nearby towns. Firefighters from 20 departments responded to help contain the flames. “The fire is very remote to our area, our location here. And that’s the reason that it grew to the extent that it did,” Cotreau said.
Officials said at least 90% of the fire has been contained, but crews remained on scene through the night and were also there Friday morning. “It really is a lot of resilient, resilient fire underneath the soil. And, if left unchecked, that’s going to cause an extension of the fire,” Cotreau said.
One firefighter who responded to the fire was taken to Portsmouth Hospital as a precaution. Officials said he is doing OK. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Police are asking people to avoid the area while crews continue to work. A brush fire also broke out in Deerfield. Firefighters across multiple departments, including Fremont, assisted in extinguishing the flames.
