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WEST GREENWICH, R.I. (WPRI) — Firefighters spent hours working to knock down a massive brush fire that burned more than 150 acres of land in West Greenwich Wednesday.
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) spokesperson Mike Healey said the fire appears to have started in the woods off of Congdon Mill Road, which is part of the Big River Management Area.
The Rhode Island National Guard’s Black Hawk team circled the fire for hours, continuously filling up a large bucket with water from the nearby Carr Pond to douse the flames. Firefighters traversed the woods on ATVs in search of flare-ups.
WATCH: Black Hawk team prepares to dump water on massive brush fire (Story continues below.)
Smoke billowing from the massive brush fire could be seen for miles. 12 News viewer Chris Bellows snapped a photo of the smoke from the air as his plane departed T.F. Green International Airport Wednesday afternoon.
Adam Hill, a lieutenant with the DEM’s Division of Law Enforcement, tells 12 News he’s never seen anything like this.
“I have not been involved with a wild land fire of this size in Rhode Island,” he said. “This fire weather is pretty severe.”
No injuries were reported and the fire didn’t spread to any nearby homes. Healey said firefighters will return Thursday morning to assess the damage and continue clearing burned brush.
While the exact cause of the fire is unknown, the flames were likely fueled by the anomalously dry and windy conditions.
WATCH: Sky Drone 12 flies over West Greenwich brush fire (Story continues below.)
There is currently a Red Flag Warning in effect for Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. Everyone is urged to refrain from outdoor burning and use caution when discarding cigarettes, since fires can spread quickly.
The warning has been in effect for several days, and this brush fire was just one of many that have cropped up since late last week.
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