While the heartbreak and destruction throughout southern California may seem foreign and far away, Milton faced a similar plight in late November.

According to Milton Fire Department Chief Christopher Madden’s written account, starting Monday, November 18th, the area of Houghton’s Hill in the Blue Hills was consumed by heavy smoke. When the Milton Fire Department arrived, they found approximately one to two acres consumed by fire, but it spread rapidly. 

The arid conditions, heavy fuel loads, and gusty winds allowed the fire to explode. Within hours, it had expanded to over 30 acres of land. Firefighters from bordering towns like Canton, Norwood, Dover, Dedham, Sharon, Stoughton, and Abington assembled to help Milton extinguish the brush fire. 

They closed off traffic to the surrounding areas and planned to contain the fire to Houghton’s Hill. Thanks to tankers donated by other towns like Foxboro, they established continuous water supplies. However, as the sun began to set and the fire started to climb, the firefighters decided that back-burning would be the safest option to stop the spread of the fire. Back-burning is when they set fire to vegetation in the opposite direction of the primary fire to destroy its fuel source. With the valiant perseverance of the firefighters, over 10% of the fire was contained by Tuesday morning.

Starting at 7:30 on Tuesday, Madden led forces that used water and extensive digging to extinguish all hotspots within 30” of the fire’s edge. By 3 p.m., 70% of the fire had been contained. Aid from other towns left the scene, and the Milton Fire Department conducted an overnight watch to monitor the fire. 

The fire consumed 50 acres with a 2.19-mile perimeter of Houghton’s Hill around the Skyline Trail and Racoon Hollow. While the cause is still unknown, the state has launched an investigation and declared it an act of arson. 

Madden stated, “95% of all outside fires are human-caused.” Seeing the immense destruction caused by the brush fire, Chief Madden urges citizens to “take out what you take in [to the woods].”

While Milton has experienced fires of a similar size, there continues to be of peculiarity surrounding the  Blue Hills brush fire. Usually, fires occur throughout March through May. However, Massachusetts experienced a critical drought throughout the fall of 2024, which allowed for the perfect storm. 

According to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, Massachusetts experienced up to 8-11 inches of rainfall deficit. Because of this, almost 700 fires occurred through October and November alone. 

With the help and support of neighboring towns, Milton could extinguish the fire quickly and efficiently. Chief Madden refers to the Milton Fire Department as “lucky.” 

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Over the past few weeks, we have seen what can happen when people are unprepared to handle natural disasters. But this wasn’t the case in Milton. The Elephant in the Room would like to thank the many brave firefighters throughout Massachusetts for their perseverance and determination to keep our town safe.