MILLBURY — A small brush fire that was believed to have originated in an encampment left one woman dead Saturday night, authorities said.

The following comes from a news release from the Department of Fire Services:

At about 8:20 p.m. Saturday, a Massachusetts State Police trooper responded to a brush fire in the area of the Blackstone River Bikeway near state Route 146 in Millbury.

The woman was located in an encampment. The trooper notified the Millbury Fire Department and police and the fire was fully extinguished.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause and manner of death and is working to identify her.

The origin and cause of the fire remains under investigation. Saturday night, the state was under a Red Flag warning that any outdoor fire could spread quickly and be difficult to extinguish.

The bike path is open to the public.

Authorities dealt with brush fires last week.

Wednesday, fire crews from many Central Massachusetts communities battled an intense brush fire that covered five acres in a wooded area in Holden near the Paxton town line. The Sutton Fire Department also dealt with a brush fire in the wooded area off Whitins Road Wednesday.

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