Controlled burn blazes out of control
BY MARY LANACSTER INDEPENDENT WRITER
Acontrolled burn on Nantucket Conservation Foundation property that was intended to eradicate 15 acres of scrub oak in the Altar Rock area raged out of the planned boundary on Sunday and spread over an additional 35 acres. The smoke was so intense it was easily visible in Madaket as firefighters scrambled to douse the flames.

Plumes of smoke could be seen from miles around on Sunday. PHOTO BY JAMIE RANNEY

The April Fool's Day burn was set at 10 a.m. under desirable conditions, but wind coming from about three different directions later that morning caused fire swirls that sent off flames igniting locations beyond the planned confines of the burn. Fire Chief Mark McDougall said he notified Barnstable fire officials to have crews ready as back-up shortly after the fire department was called to the property, and two Barnstable County fire chiefs flew to the island to meet with him and assess the situation.

A portion of Polpis Road was closed by police for safety purposes and to keep an area clear for fire equipment, while residents of the south side of the road were contacted in case evacuation became necessary. Using hydrants at 183 Polpis Road and behind Slosek's Farm, approximately 25,000 to 30,000 gallons of water were used to help quash the blaze. Firefighting equipment at the scene included engines from the 'Sconset and Madaket stations.

The fire was essentially under control by 3:30 p.m. and the burning edge was contained by 4:30 p.m. before crews from the Yarmouth, Hyannis and Centerville fire departments arrived on the 5 p.m. ferry with two engines and two six-wheel drive brush breakers. The breakers, which carry tanks of water, were utilized to put out hot spots where other equipment could not drive, but the engines and crews were sent back to the mainland. McDougall said his crew was able to leave the scene at about 9 p.m. when it also began to rain.

"All in all, things turned out pretty well," McDougall said, adding that he supports the prescribed burns because they reduce brush that otherwise would be fuel for dangerous wildfires. "The burn crews worked beside us. It was a real team effort."

Allen Reinhard, Middle Moors Ranger for the Nantucket Conservation Foundation, was among those at the fire. "It hasn't harmed the land at all, but it burned areas we hadn't planned on burning," he said, noting that the unexpected event may be beneficial in reducing the area's fire hazard if the island has a dry summer.

Controlled burns are conducted through a collaboration of conservation organizations, which make up the Nantucket Heathland Partnership, with its members trained according to National Interagency Incident Management System Prescribed Fire and Wildfire Qualification standards. Others involved in battling Sunday's blaze were: the airport fire response team, Josh Nigro of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Forest Fire Control, Toscana Corporation, Island Tool Rental, Holdgate Well Drilling and

David Gray. I