THETFORD — Thetford firefighters battled barn and brush fires that broke out Wednesday afternoon in the midst of a drought that’s affecting much of the Upper Valley.
No one was injured in the blazes, which were called in around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at a barn on 754 Cream Street, according to a news release from the Thetford Fire Department. Fire crews responding to the address saw a “large smoke column” coming from the property, and a 2,000-square-foot barn with a 600-square-foot wing engulfed in flames, the release said.
The flames had traveled beyond the building, causing two brush fires, which burned about an acre of land, along with a 500-square-foot structure that was also on the property.
Crews called for help from Bradford, Vt.; Fairlee; Hanover; Hartford; Lyme; Norwich; Orford; Strafford; West Fairlee; and Vershire fire departments, the release said.
Firefighters spent the initial part of the response working to prevent a residence on the property from catching fire before putting out the flames in the barn and the brush, the release said.
Firefighters extinguished the fires and left the scene by 9:45 p.m., according to the news release.
Thetford Deputy Fire Chief Mariah Whitcomb said in an email Thursday that the cause of the fires is undetermined. Both the barn and the small structure were destroyed in the flames, she said.
The 148-acre property is owned by Susan Manchester, who took over ownership of the land in 1991, according to Thetford property records. The site includes a farmhouse built in 1840, property records state. The farmhouse was largely undamaged in Wednesday’s fire, according to Whitcomb.
The blazes come in the midst of a drought that’s affecting much of the Upper Valley. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, most of Windsor and Orange counties, including Thetford, are experiencing a moderate drought — a categorization that is historically associated with an increase in wildfires and ground fires.
“We are concerned as conditions are incredibly dry right now, particularly in the wooded areas. There is a concern as the drought continues of more brush fires,” Whitcomb wrote, adding that the town has temporarily stopped issuing burn permits because of the lack of rain.
Portions of Grafton and Sullivan counties in New Hampshire are also experiencing a moderate drought. In Lebanon, which is one of the cities affected, officials have asked residents to stop watering their lawn and landscapes, and to limit their indoor water use while the drought continues. Other parts of the Upper Valley are labeled abnormally dry.
Anna Merriman can be reached at amerriman@vnews.com or 603-727-3216.