WPRO News

State officials admit they were caught by surprise at the intensity and quick spread of the forest fires that consumed some 350 acres in Exeter on Friday, fueled by high winds and dry conditions.

“We were surprised at how quickly they grew to such a large size,” said Pat MacMeekin, Forest Fire Program Manager at the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management on Tuesday.

“It was the duration of the warm weather, low humidity and the high winds, and that’s really what drove these fires, are the high winds that just fanned them and they just took off,” McMeekin said.

As of Tuesday, the cause of the fire had not been determined, said DEM spokesman Michael Healey.

Consulting its files, the Providence Journal estimated it was the largest forest fire in Rhode Island in some 80 years. The land is owned by The Nature Conservancy.

Governor Dan McKee toured the scorched area on Monday, and on Tuesday praised fire crews and others that responded to the blaze.

“Let’s give a shout out to the first responders, both in West Greenwich and in Exeter last week … and to our National Guard. The work that they did was heroic,” McKee said.

McKee said part of the money raised in a “green” bond issue in 2022, about $3 million, will be earmarked to forest fire safety efforts.

“We have several programs to help homeowners clear what we call defensible space around their homes, basically make little, individual fire breaks around peoples’ homes and communities,” said McMeekin. “Certainly after these fires we’re going to be working with the local fire departments and municipalities.”