Crews are battling a large brush fire in Salem amid dry and windy weather in southern New England.

The fire broke out Saturday evening in the woods near a Walmart store in Salem. Flames were visible and smoke had filled the area. Monday morning, the National Weather Service reported that more than 100 acres of forest had burned.

No injuries or evacuations were reported.

The National Guard helped fight the fire Sunday, using a Blackhawk helicopter equipped with an overhead bucket to perform more than 45 water drops on the fire, according to an agency spokesperson.

A strong smell of smoke and haze settled over southern New England Monday morning following the Salem fire as well as a number of smaller fires in Massachusetts, according to the National Weather Service Boston. The weather service predicted the smoke would clear by late morning.

Bushfires in the region have made air quality unhealthy for sensitive groups, including the elderly, people with heart and lung conditions and children, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

David Cash, the EPA’s New England regional administrator, recommends people take precautions until the smoke clears.

“It’s rare that there are wildfires or brush fires in Massachusetts, that’s why it’s in the news,” Cash said. “If you have difficulty breathing, if the smell outside bothers you, come inside. Do your activities indoors until it goes away.”

A woman died in another outdoor fire at an encampment in Millbury Saturday evening.

When state police responded to a small brush fire in Millbury around 8:20 p.m. Saturday, a trooper found the woman dead in the encampment where the fire is believed to have started. The fire has been extinguished and an investigation is underway to determine the cause. Police noted that Massachusetts was under a red flag warning saturdaywhich means any outdoor fire could spread quickly and be difficult to put out.

A red warning signal was in place Sunday for southern New Hampshire, where several brush fires broke out the day before. The National Weather Service has warned that the combination of drought and gusty winds Speeds of up to 35 mph were expected to create critical fire weather conditions, leading to rapid fire growth in dead, dry vegetation.

With reporting by Katie Cole and John Bender of WBUR and the Associated Press.

This article was originally published on October 28, 2024.