Exeter brush fire may have started at campsite, investigators say
A brush fire that tore through Exeter may have started at a campsite, investigators suspect.
On Saturday, one day after the blaze was sparked, firefighters alerted investigators from the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Department of Environmental Management Division of Law Enforcement to a campsite at the Queen's River Preserve. The 188-acre piece of protected land contains trails, woodlands and a swamp.
"Several items were recovered from the area," a DEM press release said. "The investigation is ongoing."
Anyone with information is asked to call the Fire Marshal tip line at (401) 383-7723.
More: Large brush fire in Exeter mostly contained Friday night; evacuations halted
When did the fire break out?
State police were alerted to the fire just before 2 p.m. Friday when the Exeter Fire Department requested help near Sanford Road. The flames gradually engulfed more land, and the state DEM and Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency got involved. A drone unit monitored the fire's speed and spread as it burned its way to William Reynolds Road.
More: Brush fire burns more than 200 acres in Big River Management Area. What to know.
Two Black Hawk helicopters doused the blaze with more than 40,000 gallons of water in an effort to contain it.
While the fire was expected to cover 700 acres, by around 8 p.m. Friday, the state announced that it was 80% contained, and residents were allowed to return to their homes.
Gov. Dan McKee's office said up to 200 firefighters had helped stop the fire.
On Saturday afternoon, the Nature Conservancy, which protects the Queen's River Preserve, said the property would be closed for three days. A photo shared on social media showed barren ground and scorched trees.
The Exeter fire came just after crews fought another brush fire in West Greenwich's Big River Management Area.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Exeter brush fire may have started at campsite, investigators say
