A ready and plentiful water supply is necessary to fight structure fires and wildland fires, but not everyone lives in areas with a public water utility and standard fire hydrants. Wildland fires tend to take place in more rural areas – in grasslands or forest.
That is why local fire department officials and others are thanking landowners in Lyman, Kennebunk and Hollis for their willingness to allow dry hydrants – a non-pressurized pipe permanently installed in a pond or lake that allows firefighters to draw water – in existing ponds on their property to supply that precious and vital resource – water – when fires happen.
The dry hydrant project is part of a wider initiative, secured through a $150,000 grant from the U.S. Forest Service by the Forest Stewards Guild, said the Guild’s Projects Manager Polly Weigand.
“The Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant not only provided for installing some new dry hydrants, but it purchased personal protective equipment specific to wildland firefighting,” said Roger Hooper of the York County First Responder Training Center. “It also provided the funding to run the York County Wildland Firefighter Academy last June. And it has funded the development of a Community Wildfire Protection Plan for the communities surrounding the Massabesic Experimental Forest.”
The Community Wildfire Protection Plan, targeted for completion by the winter of 2025, will prioritize wildfire risk in the region and provide specific recommendations for mitigating them, Weigand said.
As to the dry hydrant project, members of Goodwins Mills Fire/Rescue that serves Lyman and Dayton, Kennebunk Fire Department, York County government, the Maine Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy and others gathered on a recently at the site of the Lyman hydrant for a demonstration and conversation about it, and how homeowners can keep their properties safer from fire.
As a fire truck drew water and returned it back into the pond, Kennebunk Fire Chief Justin Cooper said the dry hydrant, installed on the pond at the James Thyng property in Lyman in mid-August was used a couple of weeks ago, on a structure fire about two miles away. As well, he pointed out that Biddeford Fire Department recently used a dry hydrant in a rural sector of that community.
He and the others thanked Thyng, Kennebunk landowner Mark Stuart and Hollis landowner Paul Daney for allowing the dry hydrant installations. The Lyman dry hydrant has the capacity to pump 1,200 to 1,300 gallons of water a minute for several hours, said Troy Dare of Rural Fire Protection of New England, which designed the hydrant installed in Lyman.
Landowners can also do their part to make their properties safer from fire. Cooper, along with Kent Nelson of the Maine Forest Service, pointed out that a 30-foot perimeter free of trees surrounding a home and outbuildings is recommended. Cooper said landowners should refrain from planting evergreens, instead choosing plants and trees with lower flammability, choosing hardscapes instead of mulch, and making sure roofs and gutters are free from plant debris and leaves.
Goodwins Mills Fire/Rescue Deputy Chief Ben Harris also said the increase in people moving to Lyman and Dayton year round. What used to be seasonal camps around the lakes or in wooded areas now are in use full time. There has been an uptick in chainsaw accidents and other incidents, he noted.
“It’s difficult access, the camp roads were built after the 1947 fire – a fire that caused destruction on large swaths of York County – and weren’t meant for year around use, Harris said.
Fire danger is highest in April and October and on Oct. 28, according to the National Drought Information System, 85.14% of York County was considered abnormally dry, with just the southern tip of the county –14.86% – considered to be in a moderate drought.
Those involved spoke of the collaboration it took to advance the initiative to make the area safer.
“This project can be a successful model for other regional partnerships,” said Helene Hochholzer, cooperative fire specialist with the U.S. Forest Service, in a statement. She noted that the grant meets the goals of maintaining landscapes, creating fire adapted communities, and improving wildlife response. “We commend the partners for this collaborative effort, as it takes everyone working together to help keep our communities safe,” she said.
Landowners interested in pursuing dry hydrant installation should get in touch with their local fire department, local fire officials said.
Tammy Wells is a media specialist with York County government.
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