Framingham battled three minor fires Wednesday. Brush fires are common during dry weather, when grass and shrubbery hasn t had a chance to turn green, said Susan Hamilton, spokeswoman for the state Department of Environmental Management s division of Forests and Parks. The key variables are low humidity, high temperatures and wind, she said. For the past two days, and most likely again today, the MetroWest region has been listed as a high-fire danger area. Out of a possible rating of 1 to 5, MetroWest is the highest, a 5.
All plants are also susceptible to the high temperatures.
Homeowners should keep a closer eye on their gardens and lawns, advised Mark Sawyer, a horticulturist with Weston Nurseries Inc. of Hopkinton. That ll cool the plants off and help them through the heat wave. Although the ground may be moist, the plants may be parched, Sawyer said. This is especially true for newly planted flowers and shrubs that have yet to latch their roots deep into the ground, he said. Plants are also sprouting at a faster than normal pace because of the high temperatures, Sawyer said.