HARTFORD — The Maine Forest Service and firefighters from across Oxford County will return to Pinnacle Mountain on Tuesday to extinguish a forest fire that they say started around 1:30 p.m. Monday.
A dispatcher for the Maine State Police said Monday night that a forest ranger involved with the firefighting effort told her that it would be too dangerous for firefighters to try to fight the fire after dark.
The forest ranger said crews were comfortable with letting the fire burn overnight because it posed no danger to any homes. Pinnacle Mountain is in a remote region off Route 140 in the town of Hartford.
WCSH-TV reported that 10 Oxford County fire departments helped the Maine Forest Service fight the fire, which started at the bottom of a cliff on Pinnacle Mountain. A large section of the fire kept burning about 6 inches underground, according to the television station.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but the Maine Forest Service told WCSH-TV that there was evidence of illegal camping on the mountain.
Fire crews say the terrain around the mountain is rough and is difficult to douse with water.
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