New Salem Brush Fire, 250+ Middleton Acres Burn As Smoke Shrouds MA

UPDATED 5 p.m.

SALEM, MA — A new Salem brush fire forced the cancellation of all outdoor school activities in the Witch City, while 250 acres of woodlands burned in nearby Middleton, as smoke from nearly 50 fires across Massachusetts filled the air with a smokey haze once again on Tuesday.

"We were informed that there is a new brush fire in Salem this morning, resulting in considerably more smoke throughout the city," Salem school officials said on Tuesday morning. "We have been monitoring air quality and have been advised to suspend outdoor activities as a result of the conditions.

"Until further notice, recess, physical education, outdoor learning and sports activities will be moved indoors.

• Several North Shore Brush Fires Send Smoke Across MA

The new fire is in the Salem Woods area between First Street and the golf course, creating smoky conditions throughout the city and region. Officials said the fire is not connected to the one near Spring Pond and the Highland Avenue fire that burned an estimated 100 acres on Sunday.

Salem officials said no structures were at risk as of Tuesday morning.

Salem residents and Halloween visitors were also advised that there would be a National Guard helicopter near Highland Avenue and Salem Woods on Tuesday as part of the fire response.

Salem officials said the latest brush fire burned about seven acres on Tuesday and had been largely contained to a perimeter of the fire scene as of late Tuesday afternoon. Officials said the Highland Avenue fire that sent smoke throughout the coastline on Sunday and Monday had been 95 percent contained after about 172 burned over three days.

Middleton fire crews joined those from neighboring towns and National Guard air water drop support in battling fires on more than 250 acres across the areas of Upton Hills Lane and Middleton Pond in that town. Residents were advised to keep windows and doors closed to help prevent smoke from entering their homes and take extra precautions if they were respiratory compromised.

The Peabody Health Department advised that air monitors in that city were showing higher levels of small particulates in outdoor air because of the smoke.

Smoke from the North Shore fires — and dozens more across the state — remained close to the ground on Tuesday because of what the National Weather Service called a "surface inversion" that prevents it from, essentially, blowing away.

Elevated fire conditions are expected to continue at least into the weekend with rapidly warming temperatures and strong southwest winds on Wednesday and little rain in the forecast for the next six days.

There is a moderate chance of light showers along with a warm front coming through Massachusetts on Tuesday night that will send temperatures soaring from the 50s on Tuesday into the 70s on Wednesday.

Thursday's highs could threaten the record of 81 degrees in Boston.

• Halloween Heat Wave?: Near Record Highs Expected For Trick-Or-Treaters Across MA

Cooler temperatures arrive for the weekend ahead of the first chance of substantial rainfall in weeks on Tuesday.

Amid the stretch of very dry, mostly warm and windy conditions, Massachusetts Fire Services is advising residents to avoid outdoor cooking and heating, while using causing with lawnmowers, leaf blowers, all-terrain vehicles and other power equipment that could cause sparks to ignite dry leaves and grass.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)