Williamstown asked people Oct. 27 to avoid the Taconic Crest Trail area as helicopters were expected to drop water on a wildfire near Berlin, New York, along the Massachusetts border.
The town's public notice warned residents that they may see and hear aircraft flying overhead to drop water. It also asked people not to fly drones nearby, since drones can ground firefighting aircraft.
No homes were threatened and no evacuations were planned, the town said in its Oct. 27 notice. The town also warned that smoke could drift into Williamstown and advised people sensitive to smoke to keep windows closed and limit time outdoors.
The notice followed Gov. Maura Healey's Oct. 26 announcement activating the Massachusetts National Guard after the fire crossed from New York into Williamstown. The state said National Guard aircraft would drop water on remote, rocky areas that are hard for firefighters to reach. Healey described the fire Oct. 26 as spreading toward homes, businesses and communities in western Massachusetts.
The state Department of Fire Services said Oct. 26 it was deploying communications and mapping equipment, a unit supporting firefighters' health and safety, and a drone team providing high-definition and thermal aerial images to help commanders allocate resources.
The state put the fire at 157 acres Oct. 26. The town's Oct. 27 notice did not update that figure or provide a containment percentage. The state urged residents to follow guidance from local public-safety officials as conditions change.