Sparks caused by friction from a train moving northbound through Bedford and Merrimack today caused several brush fires along the railroad tracks running parallel to Route 3 and the Merrimack River.

At one point, Bedford Deputy Fire Chief Mark Klose said firefighters were battling flames as high as 25-feet high.

Klose said the Bedford blaze, which was located off Iron Horse Drive, behind the old Flo-Pro building, was the equivalent of a three alarm fire and brought firefighters from nearby towns including Amherst, Londonderry, Manchester, Merrimack and New Boston.

As of 4 p.m., Klose said the flames were contained but said he expected firefighters to continue working through the early evening, seeking out hot spots to extinguish.

Today, he added, is a Red Flag/Category 5 warning day, meaning all wooded and grassy areas are in imminent and extreme danger of catching fire from something as simple as an umber or a tossed cigarette.

Klose cautioned all area residents to avoid creating any types of fires on their property until the fire threat level is lowered.