50 acres burn along Neponset River

Strong afternoon winds stoked a three-alarm brush fire that blackened about 50 acres of tidal marsh along the Neponset River on the Milton-Boston line.

No one was injured, and the cause of the fire is unknown.

Boston Fire Chief Joseph Fleming said with the strong wind Tuesday afternoon, firefighters were forced to chase the blaze as it blew away from them.

Fleming, who oversaw the multi-jurisdictional effort, called the response a "team effort."

"Since 9/11, the increase in the coordination is exponentially greater," he said. "We would have been here an extra hour without that coordination."

One Milton Fire Department engine waited at the boatyard across from 2 Granite Ave., in case the fire jumped across the river to residential areas in Milton.

Milton Deputy Chief Brian Linehan said there is always a danger of reeds and grass catching fire and blowing through the air, igniting surrounding areas.

The Patriot Ledger