54 Acre Fire on Rattlesnake Mountain Nearing End

54 acres so far have been ravaged on Rattlesnake Mountain in Rumney due to a fire that according to the Fire Management Officer for the White Mountain National Forest, Don Muise, appears to have been caused by humans. The fire broke out on May 28 and has continued to battle with over 60 firefighters into Wednesday, June 4. The fire has been largely contained and is expected to be fully extinguished within a couple of days.

The fire fighting effort has been one of the hardest faced by the forest in recent years according to Muise because of its location on the steep mountainside. Helicopters have been running water dropping flights and reinforcements have been brought in from states as far away as Illinois.

The fire took off, consuming dead wood and being pushed on by dry conditions and strong winds. Today the fire seems to be in its last stages as a fireline has been completed around 90% of the perimeter by firefighters and increasing rain showers are aiding in the dousing.

The fire was especially tough to fight since the steep slope of the mountain was made more slippery with the rain over the weekend and the intense heat seemed to carry on. Luckily no injuries have been reported to either firefighters or climbers.

Aside from the obvious threats posed by the fire, a small peregrine falcon chick that was too young to fly and seemingly abandoned in its at-risk nest was rejoined by its parents over the last couple days.

The region is well known for attracting rock climbers from outside New England and is a fairly popular destination point for outdoor adventurers. It was a rare occurrence for the mountain to have such a fire.

The build-up of the dead material on the groundfloor left the area to be at risk. Forest fires do occur naturally and would happen if areas were untouched by humans, but when fuel accumulates fires can quickly burn out of control. "There's certainly some benefits. It's gotten rid of some fuels," Muise said about the potential of a future fuel buildup. He also added that the forest can recover from such a fire and new growth will quickly come into to the area.