Fitchburg Sets Mosquito Spray Schedule After Second WNV Find
The city posted an emergency alert this week after a second mosquito sample in Fitchburg tested positive for West Nile virus, triggering a new spraying schedule as officials work to knock back mosquito populations before the season winds down.
TOWN HALL
Fitchburg's website flagged the finding as an "Emergency Alert," the city's highest-priority notice category, and pointed residents to a spray schedule for the affected areas. The posting marks the second West Nile-positive mosquito sample identified in the city this summer, though the alert did not specify exact spray dates or the neighborhoods involved. Residents are typically advised to reduce standing water, use repellent at dawn and dusk, and watch for further city updates as mosquito season continues into September.
ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS
"Diane Marie Bernatchez Obituary (2026) - Fitchburg, MA - Brandon Funeral Home - Legacy": Diane M. Bernatchez, born in Fitchburg in 1947, is remembered by family as kind and warm, according to a Legacy.com posting from Brandon Funeral Home (read it at https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/diane-bernatchez-obituary?id=62133753).
"Roger Alden Barber Obituary (2026) - Fitchburg, MA - Brandon Funeral Home - Legacy": Roger A. Barber, 91, of Fitchburg died July 20, per a Legacy.com notice from Brandon Funeral Home (read it at https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/roger-barber-obituary?id=62133435).
"Atty. Robert R. LaLancette Obituary (2026) - Fitchburg, MA - Isabelle & Anderson Funeral Home": Attorney Robert R. LaLancette of Fitchburg is being remembered by Isabelle & Anderson Funeral Home, with calling hours listed from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Clarendon Street funeral home, according to Legacy.com (read it at https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/-atty-robert-r-lalancette-obituary?id=62131122).
COMING UP
The city's Human Rights Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals both meet Tuesday, Aug. 11. The Fitchburg Veterans Council meets Wednesday, Aug. 12. Details for all three are posted on the city's community calendar.
Compiled from official town feeds, community organizations, and local press. Outside reporting is attributed inline.