Massachusetts
Where are fires burning in Massachusetts? See map of where fire are burning
Fire in Blue Hills Reservation in Milton, Massachusetts
Dedham Firefighters Local 1735 crews battle the Blue Hills fire in Milton on Monday, Nov. 18. On Tuesday, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) closed parts of the reservation to allow fire crews to work.
Dedham Firefighters Local 1735 via Storyful
The brush fires continue to burn in Massachusetts.
A major brush fire erupted at Blue Hills Reservation on Monday night, and crews continued to battle the blaze Tuesday.
In Braintree, a brush fire was reported in the woods near Skyline Drive on Monday.
“Fire will continue to smolder deep underground until we have a soaking rain,” states the Braintree Fire Department’s Instagram page.
On top of the major brush fires this week, the alerts for fires kept coming in consistently from Nov. 19-20. Using Dataminr, there were 10 notifications reported in Massachusetts by noon on Nov. 20 and 14 fires reported on Nov. 19.
See map of where fires are burning in MA
The National Weather Service is continuing to warn residents that the state is at high risk for fires, issuing a special advisory on Wednesday.
“The combination of prolonged dry weather and low relative humidities will contribute to elevated fire weather concerns Wednesday across Massachusetts. Obey fire bans, keep vehicles off dry grass and use extra caution if handling any potential ignition sources,” the agency said.
Brush fires/fire alerts today, Nov. 20
These alerts come from Dataminr.
- Brush fire burns on 0 block of Mulberry St. in Groveland
- Fire reported on 10 block of Overland St. Southbridge
- Butternut Fire burns at 1,100 acres on East Mountain Rd. in Great Barrington
- Fire reported on Great Neck Rd. South, Mashpee
- Fire reported on 110 block of Townsend St. Worcester
- Fire reported on Western Ave. Lynn
- Fire reported on 200 block of Walnut Plain Rd. Rochester
- Fire reported on 70 block of Wales St. Taunton
- Brush fire prompts emergency response near Donald E Ross Elementary School on 20 block of Hayward St. in Braintree
- Fire reported on Oakmont St. Webster
Brush fires/fires alerts on Nov. 19
- Fire reported on 900 block of South St. Southbridge
- Fire reported at intersection of Essex Street and Hampshire St. Lawrence
- Fire reported on Methuen St. Lowell
- Fire reported on 0 block of Shrewsbury St. Worcester
- Fire reported on Azalea Rd. Winchester
- Fire reported on Sycamore St. Westfield
- Fire reported on 0 block of Wakefield Ave. Saugus
- Fire reported on Rockland St. Abington
- Fire reported on 300 block of Cherry St. Newton
- Fire reported on 20 block of Virginia St. Dorchester
- Fire reported on 200 block of Rockland St. Hanover
- Three-alarm brush fire burns on 230 block of Topsfield Rd. in Wenham
- Fire reported on 10 block of Colonial Ave. Lowell
- Brush fire burns at Cedar Glen Golf Course on 60 block of Water St. in Saugus
Is this a bad season for brush fires in Massachusetts?
Yes.
The Carver Fire Department reported on Facebook that the average number of November brush fires in Massachusetts is 21.
“So far for November 2024 we are at 292 with over 700 acres burned” for the state, the department noted.
State fire officials report that there were 175 wildfires that continued to be an issue across Massachusetts earlier this month on Nov. 9.
Mass.gov stated that there were 203 brush fires in Massachusetts during the month of October, which is an increase of about 1,200% over the average. Typically, there are only about 15 brush fires in October.
How bad is the drought in Massachusetts?
As of this week, the U.S. Drought Monitor recently showed that dry conditions in Massachusetts keep getting worse.
That’s because the state really hasn’t seen any significant rain since September, with precipitation totals in October being low.
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs declared a Level 3 – Critical Drought for the central and northeast regions parts of Massachusetts late last week.
The U.S. Drought Monitor currently classifies just over 66% of the state as being in a severe drought covering most of the Boston area, North shore, Central Massachusetts and Western Massachusetts. Other parts of the state are considered to be in a moderate drought, while the Cape and Islands are currently classified as abnormally dry.
Is there any rain on the way? If so, will it help?
The National Weather Service stated that a “slow-moving frontal system” will bring overcast skies and rain Thursday into Friday, “which could mix with wet snow at locations above 1,500 feet elevation.”
Meteorologist Candice Hrencecin of the National Weather Service branch in Norton told USA Today Network on Tuesday, Nov. 19, that “about an inch of rain” can be expected this Thursday into Friday.
But after Thursday, the weather is supposed to dry up again, she added.
Regarding whether the forecasted rain would stop the drought, Hrencecin said, “Definitely not,” but she added it would help quench any ongoing brush fires.
Health insurance costs for companies soaring as we head toward 2026
Businesses and companies that provide health care coverage are facing the largest spike in health insurance costs in the past 15 years
Straight Arrow News
Elizabeth LaBrecque says the Taunton Area Chamber of Commerce created its Government Affairs Council for a very good reason.
“The idea is for legislators to help local businesses,” said LeBrecque, whose job description at the TACC is Director of Member Development.
LaBrecque, says the cost of health insurance continues to be a major concern among small and large businesses.
“Health insurance is always a major factor,” she said.
A survey of 635 small businesses in the Bay State, conducted in October 2024 by the UMass Donahue Institute in Amherst, found that 63% of respondent business owners – who offer employee health insurance and employ up to 50 full-time workers – strongly agreed with the statement that small businesses and employees in the commonwealth “have to pay higher health insurance premiums than big businesses and government.”
That sentiment was echoed by John Hurst, president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts.
“Health insurance has gone through the roof,” said Hurst, who has been president of the statewide business association for 35 years.
Hurst said that he and his retailers association regularly communicate with state legislators to make their concerns heard.
“And more importantly we urge our members to do that,” he said. “They are the small employers and voters in the legislators’ districts.”
The 4,000-member group also has an online “advocacy center” that connects members with legislators.
The Retailers Association of Massachusetts requested that UMass Donahue Institute conduct its survey, which included 635 respondents. The final report based on the survey results was completed in March of 2025.
Hurst also says that as of Jan. 1, 2025, the cost of health insurance for small businesses in the state had increased 13% since 2020.
LaBrecque said the TACC and its seven-member Government Affairs Council is also concerned about cost increases for other types of insurance coverage, which can include workers compensation, general liability and business owner’s policy.
It’s been three and a half years since LeBrecque came on board with the Taunton Area Chamber of Commerce – which also represents the interests of member business owners in the towns of Raynham, Dighton and Berkley. She says the TACC this past year reached a goal of 450 active members as compared to 250 when she was hired to her part-time position.
Some of those newer members, she said, also belong to other commerce chambers representing businesses in cities and towns like Fall River, New Bedford, Bridgewater and Easton.
The TACC, she said, continues to work closely with Taunton-based nonprofit SEED (South Eastern Economic Development Corporation), which provides low-interest business loans, as well as SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), a nonprofit sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Association that holds workshops and provides counseling to budding entrepreneurs.
The chamber’s website also lists a number of state and federal business resources and includes a City of Taunton Business and Development Guide created by Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) as well as a Town of Dighton Business Guide.
LaBrecque said trade tariffs imposed this year by the administration of President Donald Trump initially created concern among local beauty salon proprietors. But those fears of paying higher prices for certain products, she said, have since been allayed.
“There’s been a lot of uncertainty this year. It’s been a rocky economy,” LaBrecque said, adding that “we’re telling all our new businesses to spend wisely.”
BOSTON (WWLP) – Five Regional Transit Authorities and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) have secured $105.7 million in federal funding to modernize their bus fleets and facilities.
The funding, sourced from the Federal Transit Administration’s Low or No Emissions Grant Program and the Buses and Bus Facilities Program, will be used to purchase zero and low-emission buses and upgrade transit facilities across Massachusetts.
“Low and no emission buses deliver smoother rides, lower costs, and healthier air,” said Governor Maura Healey. “These funds will help regional transit authorities across the state purchase new buses and deliver the service that the people of Massachusetts deserve.”
The following projects received grant funding:
Low or No Emission Grant Program Awards (Total: $98,381,757):
- Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA): $78.6 million
- Merrimack Valley Transit Authority (MeVa): $7.2 million
- Lowell Regional Transit Authority (LRTA): $7.2 million
- Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA): $5.4 million
Buses & Bus Facilities Program Awards (Total: $7,475,955):
- Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA): $4.5 million
- Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA): $3 million
“PVTA is pleased to receive this significant award from the FTA’s Bus and Bus Facility Discretionary Grant Program,” said PVTA Administrator Sandra Sheehan. “This grant will enable us to maintain the Northampton Operations and Maintenance facility in a state of good repair, which is crucial for improving the safety, capacity, and reliability of our entire transit system as we work to meet growing demand as we expand service.”
Governor Healey expressed gratitude towards the team at MassDOT, the MBTA, regional transit authorities, and Senators Warren and Markey for their leadership in securing the funding.
The federal funding is expected to enhance public transportation in Massachusetts by providing cleaner, more efficient bus services, benefiting both commuters and the environment.
Local News Headlines
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Download the 22News Plus app on your TV to watch live-streaming newscasts and video on demand.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WWLP. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WWLP staff before being published.
Massachusetts
Cape Cod lobsterman scores win in fight against local Massachusetts red tape: ‘This is politics’
A lifelong Cape Cod lobsterman has received overwhelming support in his fight for survival, helping him claw through bureaucratic red tape that could revive a nearly century-old family tradition of selling lobsters from his home.
Yarmouth resident Jon Tolley says he is still wary of whether town officials in the mid-Cape Cod town will allow him to reopen his shop next year at his home, even after residents approved a bylaw that opens the door for him to do so.
“The whole town was behind me,” Tolley told the Herald via phone on Friday. “I knew they were going to be. It’s a sad thing. One person complains, and then I have to go through all of this, get lawyers and everything. For what reason? For no reason.”
The 66-year-old has caught lobsters out of Sesuit Harbor in Dennis and sold the fresh crustaceans from his home in West Yarmouth for nearly his entire life. As a youngster, he helped his father, Fred, run the family business on the same property before he took over operations in 1975.
Despite Tolley’s success over the decades, town officials forced him to operate elsewhere this past season amid a controversy that blindsided the fisherman and his neighbors.
The battle with the town began in late August 2024 when Tolley received a violation notice that he said startled him. Zoning bylaws banned retail lobster sales in a residential district, the notice stated.
An unnamed West Yarmouth resident complained about a business sign Tolley put out on Route 28, the town’s main corridor, prompting the fight, according to town officials. Tolley has argued that the complaint came from a Yarmouth police officer.
Yarmouth allowed the retail sale of fish as a commercial use in the residential district by right and without further permission until 1982.
The Zoning Board of Appeals shot down Tolley’s two appeals for a variance, which would have let him continue selling the locally harvested lobster from where his father opened up shop in 1957.
Town officials and Tolley settled on a compromise for the 2025 season.
The lobsterman found a private vacant lot along Route 28 to sell his lobsters, from where he said he found reasonable success, while the Planning Board drafted an amendment to the zoning bylaw.
Residents at a Town Meeting this week eagerly raised their hands in support of the amendment, which allows fishermen to sell their legally caught live lobsters at their homes via a ZBA-issued special permit. Less than a handful of attendees disapproved.
“In theory, even though it is a bylaw now, they can still vote no,” Tolley said of the ZBA. “See what I mean? They can vote no, and of course, you take them to court, and you win in one second because it is a bylaw.”
“All of this is politics,” he added.
In a video previewing the Town Meeting, Town Manager Robert Whritenour called the lobster bylaw his “favorite” article that residents would be voting on. He described Tolley’s situation as “quite a kerfuffle.”
The bylaw, Whritenour said, will “provide a process to enable a fisherman to sell live lobsters out of a residential location, obviously under certain safeguards to protect the integrity of the neighborhood, but that addresses … concerns.”
Residents at the Town Meeting voiced their outrage over how lobster sales became controversial.
Resident Sally Johnson said she’s been a “very strong advocate” of Tolley’s. She pointed to how she felt the ZBA chairman was “very intimidating to his board and to the community in the building” during a meeting in April.
The chairman, Sean Igoe, blocked Tolley’s attorney, Jonathan Polloni, from arguing his client’s case and the dozens of residents in support, who flocked to Town Hall, from expressing how they viewed the business as not a detriment to the community.
Residents shouted out their sharp disappointment: “Read the room!” “Dictatorship!” “Generations are leaving Cape Cod!” “You will only have millionaires living here!”
“It is absolutely ridiculous that it’s gotten to this point,” Johnson said on Monday. “It has mushroomed into chaos.”
Tolley has sued the town over his battle, filing a complaint in land court. Following a July hearing, the court encouraged the lobsterman and officials to “consider the possibility of mediation or remand of this matter to avoid the time, expense, and risk of further litigation.”
As of Friday, the case wasn’t scheduled to be heard again until next March, according to records.
“It’s a shame Jon had to fight this battle,” resident Cheryl Ball, who leads the group, Cape Cod Concerned Citizens, told the Herald, “but I’m thankful our community and several board members stepped up to support him. We need to continue to defend Cape Cod’s culture before it’s completely eroded.”
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