Photo by Nya Furey ’27
A plume of white smoke rising from near Prospect Hall; the dry autumn leaves and other vegetation in the forest can be vulnerable to catching fire.
By Shea Cardella ’27
Staff Writer
The brush fire in the woods behind Prospect Hall at Mount Holyoke College on Nov. 5 is just one of many recent fires attributed to abnormal drought conditions currently affecting 49 U.S. states.
For several weeks, Massachusetts has issued multiple Red Flag Warnings, an extreme weather alert that notifies the public about an increased chance of fire in the area. Since October, the occurrence of wildfires increased by 1,200% over the average in Massachusetts alone. Statewide drought conditions like this are relatively unusual but have steadily increased within the last twenty years.
Although the source of the Prospect Hill fire is still unknown, it was likely exacerbated by recent weather conditions. Visiting Assistant Professor Shaina Sadai, who is teaching a geography course called Atmosphere and Weather this semester, explained that the combination of “low relative humidity, warm temperatures and strong winds” allows fires to spark and spread more easily than they otherwise would.
New England is currently in what is known as a flash drought, which means that there was a steep dropoff in precipitation rather than a gradual decline. “We’ve descended deeper and deeper into a drought throughout the fall,” Sadai said. A Red Flag Warning not only warns of fire risk but also of a decreased ability for firefighters to extinguish them.
“Every time a fire starts it of course puts people at risk, but it also is a drain on resources,” Sadai said. “It takes a lot of coordination and a lot of effort to put out the fire, especially when we’re in such extreme drought conditions. It makes it even harder for firefighters to do their jobs.” On Nov. 18, another brush fire broke out near the Orchard Hill Observatory at UMass Amherst. According to a report from the Massachusetts Daily Collegian, it took Amherst fire officials about three hours to fully contain the fire before it reached a nearby cell tower.
These conditions are expected to persist until the end of the semester and could last throughout the winter. Firefighters and government officials say that outdoor fires are heavily discouraged until these conditions subside. They also advise caution for the use of any object that could cause a spark, including lighters and gas-powered equipment, and are currently urging residents to reduce their water use to help firefighters.
“Unfortunately we’re going to have to be very careful about the drought conditions for the next couple months and potentially through the winter,” Sadai said.
Madeleine Diesl ’28 contributed fact-checking.