Firefighters scrambled Tuesday to douse a series of woods fires across the state as the fire danger in Maine was very high.
“I’ve never seen it this bad,” said Michael McLean, fire chief in Limerick, where a spark from a logging operation ignited a fire that burned about a half acre of woods. “It’s scary. People really need to be careful.”
The Maine Forest Service has declared fire danger in the state as very high, one step below the most serious condition of extreme. A very high fire danger means fires can start easily, spread rapidly and quickly increase in size.
In Bridgton, fire broke out Tuesday morning from where the resident said he had been burning scrap wood days before.
“I looked out the window and saw my truck on fire and my camper and it started to spread up into th e woods, so I got my dogs and kids out of the house,” said Jesse Allen, who saw a truck and a camper destroyed by fire. Tires outside his garage, where he works on cars, added fuel to the fire and generated large plumes of black smoke.
Bridgton firefighters brought the fire at 183 S. Bridgton Road under control. The fire broke out at about 10 a.m. Firefighters responded and were able to bring the fire under control quickly.
Matthew Bennett, of the Maine Forest Service, said it appears the scrap wood fire re-ignited.
“They have to put the fire out with copious amounts of water,” he said. “If you think it’s burned down and it’s not, it will bite you in a few days. This is just one of many fires that happened in the last few days where folks thought the fire was out.”
Bennett said the residents could face charges of failing to extinguish a fire which can result in a fine and a bill for the cost of fire suppression.
The ground is covered by fine fuels, the air is extremely dry and fires are spread quickly by gusty winds, according to the Maine Emergency Management Agency.
Despite heavy snowfall for much of the winter and rainfall last week, the ground and vegetation remain dry.
“We had 96 inches of snow and the first of May, it’s dry. It’s just like nothing (fell),” McLean said.
Also called a red flag warning, the fire danger alert is in effect until 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Sanford firefighters also made short work of a woods fire behind the cemetery on Twombley Road, which was reported shortly before 10:30 a.m. Fire rangers also were dispatched to a fire in Winslow.
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