Crews battle brush fire in two towns

SEEKONK, Mass. (WPRI) - Fire crews spent Monday afternoon fighting brush fires in both Seekonk and Tiverton.

For the latest fire, crews were called to 227 Cornell Rd. in Tiverton. Flames charred two to three acres of land and came very close to a house before crews were able to stop its progress.

Fire officials say the fire had likely been burning for several hours before anyone in the neighborhood called the fire department.  Firefighters were able to douse the flames quickly, but they will remain on scene checking for hot spots.

Earlier in the afternoon, crews from Seekonk and neighboring Rehoboth responded to the scene on Old Fall River Road -- just off of Route 6 -- around 12:30 p.m. Drivers claim they could see the thick smoke billowing into the air from I-195.

It is not clear how large the fire is, but a Seekonk police captain told Eyewitness News he expected first responders to be on the scene for a considerable amount of time.

According to the National Weather Service, critical fire weather conditions exist across Southern New England.

Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut are under red flag warnings through 8 p.m. Monday. The alerts indicate conditions are prime for fires due to low humidity, dry brush, and high winds. Officials advise people take extreme care when disposing of cigarettes, and discourage any outdoor burning.

According to Eyewitness News Chief Meteorologist Tony Petrarca, our area is six to seven inches below average rainfall for 2012.

"The forest and grass vegetation that is burning is very dry too, including the 'plant root system' below the soil. A lot of times fires above ground are put out, but the dry roots below can still burn. This in turn can cause 'hot spots' to flare back up hours later," Petrarca said. "Bottom line, we need soaking rains to moisten up this vegetation."