NEWBURYPORT – Fire Chief Stephen Bradbury III reports Newburyport firefighters were called at 11:22 a.m. to an area of State Street, where a large brush fire was threatening a number of nearby buildings. Because of heavy winds, which complicated firefighting efforts, second and third alarms were quickly struck.
The fire threatened a number of commercial and farm structures, including several greenhouses at Tendercrop Farm.
Ten acres burned before fire crews got the blaze under control around 12:20 p.m.
The Newburyport Fire Department received mutual aid assistance from Amesbury, Georgetown, Ipswich, Lawrence, Newbury, Rowley, Salisbury and West Newbury crews, as well as firefighters from Hampton, N.H. Cataldo and Atlantic Ambulance services were also at the scene. Haverhill and South Hampton, N.H., firefighters provided station coverage.
At the same time, crews battled a brush fire about a mile away, in Newbury. Some of the mutual aid partners called to assist in Newburyport later worked with the Newbury Fire Department to address that fire.
Parker Road was closed in both directions between the Newbury-Newburyport border and the State Street rotary. ♦
