National Guard Aircraft Join Williamstown Wildfire Fight as Town Says No Homes Are Threatened

Gov. Maura Healey activated the Massachusetts National Guard on Monday to help fight a wildfire that started in New York and crossed into Williamstown, and the town said Tuesday that no homes are threatened and no evacuations are planned.

Guard members are using aircraft to drop water on the fire in "remote and rocky areas" that are hard for ground crews to reach, according to the governor's office as reported by the State House News Service. A Healey spokesperson said about eight Guard members were being activated, according to an account of the Boston Globe's reporting. "Our top priority is keeping people safe and giving our firefighters every resource possible to contain this wildfire," Healey said in a statement.

The fire began as a brush fire Sunday morning near Berlin, N.Y., and spread into the heavily wooded border area, according to the same reporting. In a Monday night Facebook post, the Williamstown Fire Department said it covered about 200 acres, was about 50 percent contained and posed no threat to structures, NBC10 Boston reported. The Berkshire Eagle, reporting on helicopters dropping water, put the size at about 250 acres. Acreage estimates for wildfires commonly change as crews map the perimeter.

The Town of Williamstown posted guidance on Tuesday. Residents may see and hear helicopters overhead, the town said, and should avoid the Taconic Crest Trail area. "Do not fly drones nearby, since they can ground firefighting aircraft," the notice says. Smoke may drift into town, and people sensitive to smoke should keep windows closed and limit time outdoors. "No homes are threatened and no evacuations are planned at this time," the town said.

Several state agencies are involved. The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, the Department of Fire Services and the Department of Conservation and Recreation have been monitoring the fire and assisting, according to the governor's office. The Department of Fire Services provided a drone team streaming high-definition and thermal images to help officials decide where to send resources.

Williamstown has fought large fires in the same area before. In May 2021, a wildfire burned at least 800 acres of Clarksburg State Forest in Williamstown, which fire officials at the time called the largest such fire in the state since 1999, NBC10 Boston noted.

The governor's office did not say how long the Guard would remain activated.

What remains unknown: the cause of the fire, a current acreage and containment figure from fire officials, and when the Guard will stand down.