Massachusetts Firefighter Injured Battling Brush Fire

Firefighters had a busy day yesterday with at least four brush fires reported around the county.

A Paxton firefighter was injured in a brush fire in Leicester, according to Leicester Fire Chief Robert F. Wilson. The firefighter, whose name was not available, was struck in the back of the head by a falling tree branch, Chief Wilson said.

The firefighter was taken to the hospital, but his injury did not appear serious, he said.

The fire burned about an acre off Route 56 on the Leicester-Paxton line, not far from a Worcester reservoir. It was reported at 4 p.m. and took about a half hour to extinguish, but firefighters were there for 1-1/2 hours because of dry conditions, Chief Wilson said.

Firefighters from Paxton and Rutland assisted Leicester. They used a chain saw to cut down a half-dozen dead trees that were burning 20 or 30 feet above the ground, he said.

The fire is suspicious, the chief said. More than 40 firefighters battled it, he said.

Lancaster firefighters were called about 2 p.m. to woods behind 234 South Meadow Road, Deputy Fire Chief Michael Hanson said. He said apparently three 13-year-old boys started a fire and then threw an aerosol deodorant can into it.

The can exploded and the fire burned a patch about 100 feet by 100 feet. It took two engines with eight call firefighters about 15 minutes to extinguish, and an hour to make sure surrounding dry brush did not ignite, Deputy Chief Hanson said.

A brush fire off Carpenter Road in Northbridge was burning late last night, and had been for hours, police said. Fire departments from Uxbridge and Grafton assisted Northbridge firefighters.

Earlier in the day a brush fire was reported at Country Club Drive and the golf course in Northbridge.

A brush fire was also reported in Petersham.

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