Suspicious fires on Mass. conservation land under investigation, police say

A number of fires reported on Massachusetts conservation land in current weeks are beneath investigation as suspicious exercise, police mentioned.

Firefighters and police in Westford, together with personnel from the Massachusetts Division of Conservation and Recreation’s Bureau of Forest Hearth Management, had been referred to as to the scene of a small brush hearth on the Stony Brook Conservation Land round 7 a.m. Friday, marking the fifth hearth seen round that space this week, in line with the Westford Hearth Division.

Friday’s hearth, positioned roughly a half mile from the principle entrance to the East Boston Camps web site on Depot Road, was near 4 different fires that firefighters had been referred to as to extinguish to this week within the woods close to the Graniteville American Legion baseball area close to 15 River St., the division mentioned.

“We as a police division are investigating it as suspicious exercise. It’s not an arson investigation,” Westford police Lt. Mike Breault informed MassLive. “From our standpoint, we’re making an attempt to assemble data from these out strolling, neighbors, the general public.”

Moreover, on March 31, firefighters extinguished a brush hearth in the identical woods, which burned roughly 16 acres of conservation land, in line with authorities.

Primarily simply brush and timber had been burned. Nonetheless, there’s a concern that if fires proceed within the space, they might unfold and trigger extra hurt.

“There’s a whole bunch of people that stroll in these woods with their canines or by themselves each day,” Breault famous.

The Westford Police Division requested anybody which will have seen suspicious exercise in regard to the fires to name (978) 399-2345. The division is anticipated to have extra officers within the space of the baseball area and campsite.

“These fires can unfold shortly and are harmful. The windy situations we’ve skilled just lately makes the hazard even higher to life and property,” the division defined.

The fireplace division additionally requested anybody who was visiting or lives close to the world to name the identical quantity in the event that they noticed something or anybody out of the atypical on the night of March 30, the morning of March 31, April 20 between 3 and 5 p.m or April 21 between 8 and 10:30 a.m.

“Residents within the space of River Road, North Road, Groton Street, Beacon St, Maple Road, Coakley Circle, and Farmer Manner with dwelling safety cameras are requested to evaluation their digital camera’s historical past for something or anybody that appears out of the atypical,” the division mentioned.