Great Barrington brush fire 40% contained

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. (NEWS10) -- The Great Barrington brush fire, also known as the Butternut Fire, is 40% contained. The Great Barrington Fire Department announced the fire's containment status on Tuesday morning.

The fire department said it expects the containment numbers to rapidly grow as more data is verified and warns residents not to get hung up on the numbers because the fire is controlled. Firefighters have not lost any ground when it comes to containing and controlling the fire.

As the fire department collects more data with more accurate measurements and GPS locations of the burned area it expects the amount of land involved to grow. It wants to emphasize that this does not mean the fire grew, rather it means the data has become more accurate.

The fire area is dangerous to be in or around, so the fire department reminds everyone to stay clear of it. It also said that the smoke smell will continue in the area but that it should not be cause for alarm as air quality will continue to be monitored; if air quality deteriorates the Department of Health will guide how to move accordingly.