EXTRA HOT This was the scene Friday afternoon in the Town Square after suspected sparks from a smoker ignited dormant grass. Incident occurred one day shy of one-year anniversary of similar incident last year.
IT ONLY TAKES A SPARK IN DRY, WINDY CONDITIONS
For the second straight year, downtown was “blazing” after suspected sparks from a smoker ignited dry, dormant Bermuda grass in the Town Square. Other than blackened turf, there are no reports of property damage.
Blackstone firefighters were called at 4:01 p.m. Friday — one day shy of the one-year year anniversary of a similar incident that occurred Saturday, March 21st, 2025.
David Randolph of the Grill Sergeant restaurant, located adjacent to the Square, was cooking behind the establishment — preparing the evening’s ribs and brisket — when the fire started, fueled by dry conditions and gusting winds.
Just as it did last year, the northern half of the downtown green space burned, while the southern half was untouched by flames. Grass and turf experts on social media were proven right last year when they pointed out that the fire also burned thatch and that the burned portion of the Town Square would actually come back “greener than ever.”
Randolph last Friday used as much water as he could to contain the blaze and said he greatly appreciates the assistance of Tyler Procise of Trippin’ Billies’ Brewery prior to the fire department’s arrival.
Randolph told the Courier- Record that flames at one point reached about a foot in height. He said that after last year’s fire, he replaced the Grill Sergeant’s smoker and said he’s getting the smoker inspected. He’s also measuring to install a “windshield” on the unit to reduce the likelihood of such an incident occurring again.
Blackstone Fire Chief Zac Beares said the department used about 200 gallons of water to put-out hot spots.
Beares also emphasized that he can’t say for certain what caused the fire.
“I spoke to the business owner after the incident, and he was extremely upset that it happened again and is looking into the cause and ways to prevent it from happening in the future. They are considering installing a flame-resistant barrier around the grill to ensure no embers from the smoker carry over into the adjacent grassy area. The cause of the incident is still undetermined.
“Although we examined several possibilities while there, we couldn’t find anything that stood out. I looked at the smoker to see if it was touching the metal fencing next to it. I thought the heat from the smoker might be radiating onto the fencing and setting the grass on fire, but it wasn’t,” Beares concluded.
A Town ordinance prohibiting smokers in the Historic Business District applies only to non-profit groups — not businesses.
Blackstone’s Town Square was established after the March 11, 2004 fire that destroyed the Mitchell’s Restaurant and Johnny’s Firm & Fitness buildings. The Town of Blackstone acquired the property, which for several years was called “The Hole” by locals, as part of a $1 million downtown revitalization grant.
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