Mashpee FD Knocks Down Rod & Gun Club Blaze Amid Red Flag Fire Warning
The Mashpee Fire Department responded to the area surrounding the Mashpee Wampanoag Rod & Gun Club off South Sandwich Road for reports of a brush fire on Sunday, November 17.
A statement from the department shared around 4:30 PM that day confirmed that the brush fire occurred "in a wooded area in close proximity to many houses." Mashpee Fire responded to the scene and was assisted by forestry unit crews from Sandwich, Joint Base Cape Cod, West Barnstable, and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. All units were committed, the release said, and station coverage was provided by Falmouth Fire Rescue and the Centerville-Osterville-Marstons Mills Fire and Rescue Department.
"The fire ultimately reached one-half an acre and was controlled and extinguished later in the afternoon," the department's statement said. "As always, we'd like to extend thanks to our mutual aid partners."
Mashpee, along with most communities in the commonwealth, is currently under a "red flag warning," which means there is an increased risk of fire activity due to unusually dry, warm conditions.
Earlier this month, the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts and its board of directors issued a statement urging fire departments in communities across the state to implement a temporary ban on all outdoor fire activity to mitigate the likelihood of accidental wildland fires. The ban includes fires associated with fire pits, chimneys, outdoor fireplaces, outdoor cooking and outdoor heating.
"The number and nature of these incidents post a grave risk to our personnel and the communities we serve," the statement read. "Beyond the direct hazard posed by an out-of-control wildland fire, every firefighter battling a preventable outdoor fire is a firefighter who cannot respond to an unrelated structure fire, motor vehicle crash, medical call, or other emergency."