Evacuation ordered north of Saugus

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As columns of black smoke billowed over a nearby ridge, a mandatory evacuation was ordered for a neighborhood north of Copper Hill Road near Saugus shortly before 10 a.m. Water-dropping aircraft were called in to help firefighters battle the wind-whipped blaze.

Sport utility vehicles, vans and cars on High Sierra Trail were packed with family valuables and ready to go.

But resident Beth Kray was hesitant to leave her home.

‘It’s better now than it was last night,’ she said of fire conditions. ‘It was on the ridge right behind. We couldn’t get a wink of sleep. What we saw last night was really frightening. This is a tightknit neighoborhood. Many people in the neighborhod are firefightes and police officers, so we’re all very well prepared. We’ve got our vehicle pointing down the road.’

-- Richard Winton in Saugus