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Greene firefighters and mutual aid respond to 40-acre woods fire; potential rail link probed
Summary
The town's fire representative said a May woods fire burned more than 40 acres, required more than 100 firefighters from 22 departments and may be tied to the train; forestry investigators will review railroad involvement and possible cost recovery.
A fire department representative told the Select Board on June 1 that a May woods fire burned more than 40 acres, required multi-day response and drew extensive mutual aid.
"We had 40 plus acres ... 22 fire departments come to help us, over 100 firefighters," the representative said, and noted crews returned three days in a row to contain hot spots. The fire occurred on an exceptionally hot day and one firefighter received treatment for heat exhaustion but was not transported.
Board members discussed the likely ignition source. The representative said a train was the probable cause and that forestry investigators will examine the railroad's role and whether the town can recover costs depending on the investigation.
The department thanked numerous mutual-aid partners and local volunteers for staging, equipment and logistics support. No homes were lost, though the fire came close to several residences.
The Select Board asked no formal follow-up motions; members said they will await forestry's investigative findings to determine whether cost recovery or other actions are appropriate.
