Wildfire That Crossed Into Williamstown Is Contained After Guard Helicopter and 120 Firefighters Hold the Line

A wildfire that began in Berlin, New York, and burned across the state line into Williamstown has been contained, officials said, after a three-day fight in steep, remote terrain that drew more than 120 firefighters from both states and a Massachusetts National Guard helicopter.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said Tuesday night that the fire was contained, WAMC reported. On Wednesday crews were still putting out hot spots in the interior. In a 4 p.m. Wednesday update on the town's website, Williamstown Fire District Chief Jeffrey Dias said crews from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation spent the day reinforcing control lines and extinguishing the fire, and that he was confident they would keep it contained. "No homes are threatened, and no evacuations are planned," the town said.

The fire began Sunday in Berlin at about 1.5 acres and grew to 50 acres by Sunday evening, crossing into Berkshire County, according to Dias as reported by Western Mass News. By Tuesday morning it covered about 257 acres in Berkshire County and Rensselaer County, N.Y., before the active area shrank to about 160 acres Tuesday afternoon at 75 percent containment. New York's DEC put the peak at about 251 acres, burning state forest land and areas along the Taconic Crest Trail.

Gov. Maura Healey activated the National Guard on Monday evening, when the fire had reached an estimated 157 acres. "As this fire spreads toward homes, businesses and communities in Western Massachusetts, we're activating the National Guard to provide critical support from the air and to reach areas that firefighters can't safely access on the ground," Healey said in a statement reported by WCVB. The state also sent a rehab unit, an incident support unit and a drone team, and the Department of Fire Services deployed personnel and specialized equipment. Vermont fire departments also sent help.

The terrain was the main challenge. Crews had to hike up to two miles just to reach the fire and faced "really, really harsh terrain," the DEC said. Firefighters used controlled burns and a Massachusetts National Guard Black Hawk helicopter to drop water, WAMC reported; helicopters filled buckets in a field off Hancock Road. More than 10 agencies responded. No one was injured, and no homes or "high value assets" were destroyed, the DEC said.

The town asked residents to stay away from the Taconic Crest Trail area and not to fly drones nearby, because drones can ground firefighting aircraft. It also warned that smoke may drift into town and advised people sensitive to smoke to keep windows closed and limit time outdoors.

The weather is not expected to help right away. Ethan Burwell, a meteorologist at the New York State Weather Risk Communication Center at the University at Albany, told WAMC the next few days will likely be dry, but that forecasting models for New York and southern New England are "leaning towards a wetter scenario" over the next month or two, which would reduce fire risk. That aligns with NOAA's winter outlook, which favors above-normal precipitation along the eastern seaboard during a very strong El Niño.

Officials have not announced a cause. The Williamstown update and the DEC statements reported so far do not say how the fire started.