High Winds Spur Red Flag Fire Warning in New Hampshire

AMHERST, NH — An Eversource bucket truck crash in Amherst Thursday morning is believed to be among many wind-related incidents that closed roads and cut off power to New Hampshire residents Wednesday night into Thursday. Eversource and Unitil both reported more than a thousand outages at their peak Wednesday night.

WMUR-TV reported Thursday morning that an Eversource bucket truck overturned and crashed down an embankment on Route 101 in Amherst. Two people in the truck reportedly suffered serious injuries and the road was restricted for more than an hour during the morning commute. Amherst Police on Thursday morning said officers were still on the scene investigating the crash.

The high winds, low humidity and early stage of the growing season also led the National Weather Service to issue a Red Flag Warning for areas of southern and center New Hampshire without snow cover. A high fire warning means that fires that start can spread quickly and be difficult to extinguish. While regulations differ by community, outdoor burning may be prohibited, and extreme vigilance is urged even around contained fires such as cookouts or campfire pits.

The NWS has issued the Red Flag Warning through 8 p.m. Thursday night with winds expected to reach as high as 40 miles per hour throughout the day.

Eversource and Unitil both reported they responded to reports of power outages throughout the night as winds reached as high as 50 miles per hour.