Salem Residents, Visitors Warned Against Entering Brush Fire Areas As Crews Battle Blazes

UPDATED 5 p.m.

SALEM, MA — Salem police are warning residents and curious visitors to stay away from the areas of Salem Woods after they said they received several calls about people entering the area to see the brush fire that ignited on Tuesday and the crews trying to contain it.

"Entering a brush fire scene to observe fire operations is extremely dangerous and puts police officers and firefighters, who will have to enter the Woods to rescue these onlookers, at risk," police said. "Stay away from all active brush fires and allow firefighters – including firefighting helicopter operations – to carry out their duties."

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.

"Residual smoke from that fire is expected to continue through the night and longer until the fire can be entirely extinguished," officials said. "With the dry conditions and warm weather forecast
for (Wednesday), there is a possibility that the Salem Woods fire may flare up again. The area is being monitored through the night and into tomorrow by the Salem Fire Department."

Officials said that as of Tuesday afternoon there were no plans to cancel school at Salem High School or the Horace Mann Laboratory School on Wednesday after students were sent home early from the campus on Tuesday because of heavy smoke in the area.

School officials said that while "there is no danger related to the fire itself" they had been advised to evacuate the campus because of the smoke.

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

High school students were to be sent home at 11:30 a.m. with Horace Mann students taken to Witchcraft Heights at 12:15 p.m.

All outdoor activities — including recess and after-school sports — were previously canceled for Tuesday after a second brush fire ignited in the area of First Street and Salem Woods.

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.

Horace Mann was to be relocated to Witchcraft Heights Elementary School and dismissed from there according to the regular dismissal schedule. HMLS parents who are able can come pick up their children until noon after which time they will be at Witchcraft Heights Elementary School for the remainder of the day.

The Horace Mann 21C after-school program was canceled for the day.

The onsite HMLS YMCA extended day program was being relocated to Witchcraft Heights

(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.)