Will the Harvard Select Board order our fire chief to permanently cancel the plan to demolish by burning the house next to the Still River village fire station? The fire will be exceedingly close to two banks of evergreen trees and the home next door. Although I am certain that the fire chief presumes all precautions will be taken, all it will take is one mistake to cause a massive fire in Still River.
The property scheduled to be burned on May 4 is in a wind tunnel. This area is known for sudden wind changes. Smoke and ashes, such as those from asbestos, are exceedingly hazardous to health. Has the house been cleared of all hazardous carcinogens? Small children live close by. The only water will come from a tanker.
Moreover, the fire chief has kept the house burning secret from even the closest neighbors. When, Mr. Sicard, do you plan to present your plan in a public in person meeting? The residents of Still River Village do not deserve to be the victims of a burning experiment.
Deborah Skauen-Hinchliffe
Still River Road
Editor’s note: According to Lt. Andrew Perry of the Harvard Fire Department, final permission from the state’s Department of Environmental Protection for the live fire training is expected next week, after which the fire department will notify the neighborhood and town boards, via USPS, of the May 4 event. Mass DEP, Perry said, has visited the site and found no asbestos contamination or accelerants. He said the exercise will conform to National Fire Protection Association standards.
