Rochester Fire Department Battles ‘Stubborn’ Brush Fire

ROCHESTER (WBSM) — A “stubborn” brush fire took the Rochester Fire Department more than an hour to extinguish earlier today, and the department is warning residents to be careful when burning brush.

According to a Rochester Fire Department Facebook post, crews responded this afternoon to “a controlled outdoor brush fire, which quickly spread until the homeowner was unable to contain and control it.”

The department said that although fire crews were able to quickly contain the blaze, they spent over an hour “overhauling and wetting down the area.”

The department said it was “the second out-of-control brush fire” it had responded to today.

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When Burning Brush, Smaller Is Better

“Please remember when you are burning outdoors, burn in small controlled brush piles,” the department wrote in the post. “As tempting as it is to pile on large portions of brush, these fires are unpredictable and can get out of control quickly.”

“Keep it small and save additional brush for another day,” the department wrote.

Mass.gov also has a list of tips and suggestions when it comes to burning brush.