NEWS

In 1900, during the month of September, the “Great Fire” roared wildly through our neighborhood. Flames raged through our Six Ponds neighborhood, and throughout most of the southern half of Plymouth, destroying everything in their path. Residents and workers sought refuge in bogs and ponds, and even the ocean. When the rains fell on September 16, what was still burning was finally extinguished. Nearly half of the town’s 103-square-mile landmass was blackened and scorched. The town newspaper, The Old Colony Memorial, reported: “Human energies were powerless to cope with the fierce blaze, which hurried on by a blast of hurricane force, stretched across the area from College Pond to the sea in time almost calculable in minutes, rather than hours.”

The fire had started at College Pond on Wednesday (within what is now the Myles Standish State Forest) and moved to Indian Hill (coastal Manomet) by nightfall; then as winds shifted, Ellisville and the banks of Great Herring Pond in Cedarville were burning on Thursday. The fires raged fiercely on Friday around Halfway Pond and Bloody Pond, and by Saturday the fires came around almost full-circle, branching down the Agawam River into Wareham and Carver.

Town reports of the era show that the Town of Plymouth spent nearly $10,000 to combat the flames, a price-tag that was enormous in those times. The next year, the town approved $2,500 in appropriations to begin construction of so-called “fire belts” – expanses of roads and waterways that that could be kept clear of brush and maintained as fire breaks. Despite the OCM’s assurances printed 118 years ago, “Plymouth never had such a fire before and never can again, as the fuel is gone”, we know fire is always a risk in our forests.

Not as enormous as the Great Fire of 1900, our area has seen significant fires, such as :

• 1957: 15,000-acre fire jumps Route 3 in South Plymouth, destroying 6 cottages and causing 150 residents to evacuate
• 1964: Wildfire blazes from Myles Standish State Forest into Plymouth, burning 5,500 acres and 20 cottages
• 1971: 165-acre fire with 50-foot tall flames damages two fire engines and injures 7 firefighters
• 1991: Fire along Route 3 burns 1,200 acres destroying 2 cottages and a trailer
• 1995: 95-acre fire threatens more than 100 homes in the Bourne Road area causing residents to flee

We all know the benefits of living in this beautiful area we know as Six Ponds. We also need to be aware of the risks. We work to monitor water quality, liaison with the Town on road safety, keep informed on Pilgrim Station actions, but do we think enough or prepare for fire? Trees in the area include pitch pine, scrub oak, and huckleberry, which have needles and leaves with flammable oil. In fact, pitch pine has the nickname “gasoline pine tree”. In dry conditions, accumulations of needles, leaves, and fallen twigs can fuel ground fires. Ground fires can climb bushes and low branches, ignite volatile oils, and explosively spread fire to the tops of trees. These “crown fires” are especially dangerous because they throw sparks that can blow in the wind for long distances. For example, embers in the 1991 Plymouth wildfire blew up to 2,000 feet and quickly spread the fire. Many homes lost in wildfires are destroyed by burning embers landing on them.

The fire risk situation is even greater now that we have many standing dead trees in our region due to recent insect infestations (gypsy moth, turpentine beetle, etc), drought and natural aging.

In 2000, many wildfires burned due to a volatile combination of drought and accumulations of plant material built up from years of putting out wildfires. In response, in 2001 the federal government made a list of communities that are at high risk from wildfire on federal lands. The Town of Plymouth is on that list.

OMG, what can be done? Fortunately, we have actions underway by both the federal and state governments, such as controlled burns. Controlled burns help reduce the risk of wildfires. This is one way of removing forest brush so it will not fuel wildfires. These burns are done under carefully selected conditions and target fast-burning leaves, pine needles, and underbrush. Normally, tall pines are relatively untouched. The purpose of controlled burns is to significantly reduce the risk of unwanted wildfire and clear pathways for fire equipment, making surrounding communities safer.

What can you do to protect your property? We are not suggesting clear-cutting the trees on your property; it is prudent to know as much as you can to prepare accordingly!

As a resident of the Town of Plymouth, we are fortunate to have the privilege of open-air burning. Removal of downed branches and brush can be very labor-intensive and difficult to dispose of. It also comes with risks, which are recognized by the town and the state, and therefore it is vigilantly controlled. Burning deliberately on your own property is a very serious endeavor, requiring knowledge and accepting responsibility for your actions. The last thing you’d ever want to do is be responsible for spreading a dangerous wildfire!

Open burning season runs from January 15 to April 15. Open Air Burning in Massachusetts is regulated by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and enforced by our local Fire Department. A valid permit obtained from the Town of Plymouth fire department is required. The Fire Chief reserves the right to deny open burning on any day due to weather or environmental conditions. To obtain a permit, go here: plymouth-ma.gov/fire-department/pages/burning-permits and read more info here, mass.gov/service-details/open-burning-safety.

Research around home destruction vs. home survival in wildfires point to embers and small flames as the main way that the majority of homes ignite in wildfires. Embers are burning pieces of airborne wood and/or vegetation that can be carried more than a mile through the wind which can cause spot fires and ignite homes, debris and other objects.

There are methods for homeowners to prepare their homes to withstand ember attacks and minimize the likelihood of flames or surface fire touching the home or outbuildings. See firewise.org and ready.gov/wildfires, or talk to your local fire department for more information.

As Six Ponds past-president Love Albrecht Howard says, “I do think that all of us living in a pine barrens are greatly a-typical from most suburban or rural residential sites. EVERYTHING around us is fuel, and lots of us don’t even have lawns, we just have acidic duff along with pine needles, leaves, downed branches, ericaceous groundcovers and the trees that surround most of our properties and right up to the house. I do love being buried in vegetation, but I also recognize it’s all a fire-hazard.”

Wildfires also play a role in the preservation of pine barrens, which are well adapted to small ground fires and rely on periodic fires to remove competing species. What is important to realize is that we have built homes throughout southeastern Massachusetts pine barrens, and our homes and lives are also at stake when a wildfire gets started. Many of the native species that live among us actually depend on fire!

Smokey Bear may say that “only you can prevent forest fires”, but honestly, forest fires are a natural and historic part of our regional ecology. Modern technology has not discovered how to block lightning strikes. The Six Ponds Improvement Association will do its best to liaison with the Town of Plymouth, the Myles Standish State Forest and all other related groups to learn more about how we can work together as a community to help reduce the damage of forest fires. Good for you to be aware, alert and prepared!

 

Sources: Massasoit National Wildlife Refuge March 2010 publication, Old Colony Memorial, the National Fire Prevention Association, and the U.S. Ready Campaign.