Rhode Island news | projo.com | The Providence Journal

« Hopes for osprey license plate delivery dashed | Today | This weekend: From indoors to outdoors »

April 18, 2008

Update: Police probing Bristol brush fire's cause / Photo

Journal photo / Frieda Squires
Bob Hughes and his dog look over the fire damage to the wetlands along the East Bay Bike Path today.

BRISTOL -- The smell of smoke hung in the air, and blackened land and charred trees marked an area west of the East Bay Bike Path that had been bordered by dense fields of scrub and reeds.

A brush fire had spread through the area yesterday, damaging a board walk to the Narragansett Bay owned by the Audubon Society of Rhode Island.

Firefighters were dousing hot spots early this morning, but a half-mile section of the bike path that had been blocked off was reopened today.

And Earth Day activities and events at the Audubon’s Environmental Education Center will be held as planned tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The brush fire was reported yesterday at about 4 p.m. near Hanley Farm Road, in neighboring Warren, and spread south toward the East Bay Bike Path and Narragansett Bay, burning wooded areas and marshland near the North Farm residential development and the Audubon’s educational center.

Burning phragmites, an invasive reed that grows in marsh or water areas, were responsible for the thick black smoke that could be seen for miles against clear skies.

The Warren police are asking anyone with information on how the fire might have started to call (401) 245-1311.

“There was a witness that stated that while they were out in the vicinity, they heard three juveniles saying something along the lines of, ‘I’m not getting caught for this, let’s get out of here,’” Warren Police Lt. Joseph Loiselle said today. “Then we got a call from somebody along Blount Shipyard who observed some jet skis leaving the area of the fire shortly before the fire was reported.”

-- Journal staff writers Meaghan Wims and Alex Kuffner

This afternoon, workers from the state Department of Environmental Management, which helps manage the bike path, replaced portions of the log fence on either side of the path that were burned by the flames.

The Audubon Society is still trying to assess the extent of damage to its boardwalk, which cost $1 million to build in 2000 and crosses over the bike path to a salt marsh along the Bay. Fundraising will likely be needed to pay for the repairs.

“We lost a big chunk of it right in the middle and there was heavy damage at the end,” said Jeff Hall, the society’s director of advancement. “The Fire Department said that even though the deck looked fine, there’s a lot of charred, burned places underneath. It’s going to be a significant expense.”

“We’re just thankful no one was on the boardwalk and no one got hurt,” Hall added.

The fire, he said, was mostly contained to the west side of the bike path, and although it leveled a significant amount of phragmites, those reeds are invasive and the Audubon staff isn’t bemoaning the loss.

“They’ll come back strong,” Hall said.

Since it’s only the start of nesting season, not much wildlife was in the area at the time of the brush fire, Hall said.

“There may have been some frogs or turtles that couldn’t get out of the way,” Hall said. “Even after the fire, the birds were back flying over the trees and roosting for the night. If there was a time of year for it to happen, it’s better earlier in the season than later. A lot of marsh will grow back. It will be bright, vivid green.”

He continued, “We’ll use the fire as a lesson to explain how nature bounces back. Fires have been part of the environment forever. It was a quick, hot fire, and burned a lot of groundcover, but the trees near the bike path will be back. It would have gotten a lot nastier if it had gone up into North Farm and hopped the bike path. The habitat acted as a barrier.”

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:32 PM | Permalink

Comments

I don't think this was an accident, but if it wasn't an accident, and was a careless person with a cigarette, that person should be liable for all damages. R.R.H

R.R.H | April 19, 2008 4:50 PM link

April 18, 2008

Update: Police probing Bristol brush fire's cause / Photo

Comments

Post a comment