Fire Rages at Myles Standish State Forest
On this day in 1964, a raging wildfire crossed the boundaries of Myles Standish State Forest, and into the town of Plymouth. Two days earlier flames had consumed 800 acres of the forest, but firefighters believed they had the blaze under control. On the 25th, the wind shifted, and with terrifying speed, the re-ignited fire moved from west to east, destroying everything in its path. It stopped only when it reached White Island Pond. Fifty-five hundred acres and 26 structures had been destroyed. This was the last of many large fires to ravage Myles Standish State Forest in the twentieth century. Since the 1960s, rapid development surrounding the Forest has led foresters to develop a new tool for preventing fires; they intentionally set them.
Related Moments
Fire Nearly Destroys Nantucket Town
Fire Nearly Destroys Nantucket Town
On this day in 1846, a fire began in a hat store on Nantucket's Main Street. In no time, it raced through town, consuming everything in its path. Barrels of whale oil were stored on...
nMt. Holyoke Cable Car Burned
nMt. Holyoke Cable Car Burned
On this day in 1965, Massachusetts officials burned what was left of the wooden tramway that had carried thousands of people to the summit of Mt. Holyoke. Abandoned for decades, the deteriorating tramway was a...
Great Molasses Flood
Great Molasses Flood
On this day in 1919, people in Boston's North End were startled by a loud rumbling noise. They watched in horror as a five-story tank broke apart, unleashing a wave of molasses 15 feet high...
