Brush Fire Follows Fireworks In Winthrop

WINTHROP (CBS) -- The fireworks ended, but the show went on.

In Winthrop, a brush fire sparked following the town's annual celebration. Spectators watched as flames erupted from the peninsular Coughlin Park and lit up the night sky.

"We just kept watching and wondering where the fire engine was," said Bill Rand, who was visiting friends from Connecticut. "Some of the flames were ten feet in the air."

Rand's granddaughter, Lily, grew concerned the fire could spread as she watched from a house just across the water.

"I was really hoping it would just stay in one place because there are people's houses and boats over here," she said.

But residents like Christine D'Ambrosio barely broke a sweat. The post-fireworks show brush fire has become somewhat of an unofficial tradition in Winthrop.

This YouTube video captured a similar incident in 2010.

"Nobody was really concerned," D'Ambrosio said. "They didn't have any fire engines coming down the street. No sirens or anything, so everyone just enjoyed it."

Winthrop Fire Chief Paul Flanagan said the department had an engine truck parked nearby as a precaution. Because of the dry conditions, he knew a brush fire was a good possibility.

On Monday, firefighters extinguished a few remaining smoldering spots as daylight revealed several areas of charred marshland.

Flanagan said the fire looked a lot worse than it actually was.

"It's really spectacular from a distance," Flanagan said. "The glow is in the sky. But as soon as we get water on it, things die right down. It's a spectator-pleaser at the end of a great fireworks show."

Ryan Kath can be reached at rkath@cbs.com. You can follow him on Twitter or connect on Facebook.