Advertisement

Large brush fire subdued by responders from Waltham and beyond

The Waltham Fire Department responded to a large brush fire on the Waltham-Watertown boarder on Sept. 12, 2026. Photo by Joseph Sharkey.

Firefighters from several communities responded around 12:30 a.m. Sunday to a large brush fire in a wooded area off River Street near the Waltham–Watertown line.

Fire department radio traffic described heavy fire showing through the woods, with flames estimated at 10 to 15 feet high. Crews accessed the area from River and Farwell streets and stretched hose lines through the woods and from a nearby parking lot.

Waltham and Watertown firefighters responded, with Newton Fire providing mutual aid. Waltham and Watertown police, Massachusetts State Police and emergency medical personnel were also at the scene.

A Massachusetts State Police trooper and multiple bystanders told a Waltham Times reporter that illegal fireworks reportedly ignited the fire. Authorities had not released a written statement confirming the official cause as of Sunday morning.

No injuries were immediately reported.

Advertisement
Author

Joseph Sharkey is an independent news photographer based in Waltham. He grew up in the city and has had a strong interest in public safety and first responders. That passion led him to covering breaking news, focusing on incidents like fires, accidents and major public safety events. His work has been featured on WCVB, WHDH, NBC10 Boston and other local news outlets.

Comments (0)

There are no comments on this article.

Leave a comment

When commenting, please keep in mind we are a small non-profit focused on serving our community. Our commenting policy is simple:

  1. Common sense civility: we’re all neighbors, but we can disagree.
  2. Full name required: no anonymous comments.
  3. Assume the best of your neighbors.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Close the CTA