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Complex of fires burns more than 100 acres around Crawford Notch State Park

Officials say fires about 25% contained

Complex of fires burns more than 100 acres around Crawford Notch State Park

Officials say fires about 25% contained

OF LAND AT ABOUT 58 ACRES. CHARLIE, ANOTHER FIRE MAKINGP U BEMIS, AFFECTS ABOUT 35 ACRES, BRAVOS, AN ADDITIONAL 16 ACRES. OFFICIALS SAY ALL THREE OF THESE FIRES STARTED AT AROUND THE SAME TIME, AND MAKE UP ABOUT 106 ACRES TOTAL. >> THEREAS W POTENTIAL FOR MUCH MORE FIRE GROWTH HAD THAT RAIN NOT COME IN THE FIRSDAT Y. REPORTER: ADRIAN REYES WITH THE NEW HAMPSHIRE DIVISION OF FORREST AND LANDS SAYS THE GOAL NOW IS TO PUT OUT THE REMAINING FIRE, BEFORE CONDITIONS GET VERY DRRE, BEFORE CONDITIONS GET VERY Y AGAIN. BUT WHERE THESE FIRES ARE LOCATED DOESN’T MAKE THE FIGHT EASY. >> THAT REALLY STEEP TERRAIN MAKES IT REALLY HARD TGETO PERSONNEL THERE AND TO GET WATER THERE SO MOST OF THE WORK WE’RE HAVINGO TDO IS WITHOUT ANY WATER JUST USING HAND TOOLS, OVSHELS, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS TO DIG FIRE LINE. REPORTER: ANOTHER HAZARD ACCORDING TO REYES STANDING DEAD TREES MANY OF THEM ABLAZE. FIREFIGHTERS NOW USING CHAIN SAWS TO GET THEM DOWN. WHILE OFFICIALS DON’T YET KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE TO START THEY SAY AS OF MONDAY AFTERNOON IT’S 25CO% NTAID.NE RIGHT NOW EVERYONE IN THE AREA IS ENCOURAGED TO REMAIN ATTENTIVEO T PRENTVE ANY HUMAN CAUSED WILDFIRES FROM STARTING. OFFICIALS SAYHE T NUMBER ONE PRIORITY REMAINS THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC AND OF FIREFIG
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Complex of fires burns more than 100 acres around Crawford Notch State Park

Officials say fires about 25% contained

Brush fire danger was high for much of New Hampshire on Monday, including the area around Crawford Notch State Park, where three fires have formed a fire complex now named the Bemis Fire.Officials said the fires were just 25% contained by Monday evening. The fire known as the Alpha fire ran up the canopy at Crawford Notch State Park in a process called torching. That fire makes up the largest part of the complex, at 58 acres.The Bravo fire has burned 16 acres, while the Charlie fire affects about 35 acres, officials said. Fire officials said the three fires started at around the same time and make up about 106 acres total."There was potential for much more fire growth had that rain not come in the first day," said Adrian Reyes, of the New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands.Reyes said the goal is to put out the remaining fires before conditions get very dry again. The location of the fires doesn't make fighting them easy."That really steep terrain makes it really hard to get personnel there and to get water there, so most of the work we're having to do is without any water, just using hand tools, shovels, those types of things to dig a fire line," Reyes said.Another hazard is standing dead trees that can fuel the fires. Firefighters are using chainsaws to take them down.Officials said they don't know what sparked the fires.

Brush fire danger was high for much of New Hampshire on Monday, including the area around Crawford Notch State Park, where three fires have formed a fire complex now named the Bemis Fire.

Officials said the fires were just 25% contained by Monday evening. The fire known as the Alpha fire ran up the canopy at Crawford Notch State Park in a process called torching. That fire makes up the largest part of the complex, at 58 acres.

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The Bravo fire has burned 16 acres, while the Charlie fire affects about 35 acres, officials said. Fire officials said the three fires started at around the same time and make up about 106 acres total.

"There was potential for much more fire growth had that rain not come in the first day," said Adrian Reyes, of the New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands.

Reyes said the goal is to put out the remaining fires before conditions get very dry again. The location of the fires doesn't make fighting them easy.

"That really steep terrain makes it really hard to get personnel there and to get water there, so most of the work we're having to do is without any water, just using hand tools, shovels, those types of things to dig a fire line," Reyes said.

Another hazard is standing dead trees that can fuel the fires. Firefighters are using chainsaws to take them down.

Officials said they don't know what sparked the fires.