The latest news about Maine lakes and ponds.

Dry, Breezy Conditions Fuel Fire Risk

April 22, 2009 - GRAY -- Dry weather and breezy conditions are creating dangerous fire conditions in Maine's forests, putting firefighters on alert and forcing homeowners to postpone plans to burn winter debris.

The Maine Forest Service has shut down its online system of obtaining burning permits until conditions improve, and most local fire departments are also refusing permit requests, said Kent Nelson, the forest service's fire-protection specialist.

"This is typical for this time of year, but on the other hand, it's a little bit unusual because we haven't had any rain in over a week," he said.

Tom Hawley, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Gray, said a shower was possible Friday night or early today, but no significant rain is expected until Monday night or Tuesday.

More than 40 woods and grass fires have been reported across the state since April 1, including a fire Friday afternoon in Waterboro that destroyed a shed and pickup truck and threatened a home.

Nelson said that blaze was begun by someone who was burning debris in his yard without a permit.

"It's really a lesson to be learned for those who are considering a fire this weekend," he said.

The largest fire reported so far was in Gray. About 10 acres in the woods off Ramsdell Road were consumed in a blaze spotted from a plane that was landing at the Portland International Jetport around 5 p.m. Thursday, said Gray Fire Chief Ricky Plummer.

He said firefighters had to run hose about three-quarters of a mile into the woods and use ATVs and other off-road vehicles to reach the scene. Night fell before the fire was out, and firefighters had to retreat until daylight Friday.

Plummer said fires in the woods can't be fought safely after sundown because of the lack of visibility and rough terrain. "It's really too dangerous at night to do anything," he said.

Plummer said he was grateful that conditions were less windy Thursday evening than they were Friday afternoon, when gusts reached 25 mph.

"Had the same fire with this wind occurred (Friday), we would have had a real problem on our hands," he said. "We would have been chasing that for a couple of days."

Friday's conditions produced a "red flag warning," posted in southern Maine from noon to 8 p.m. Hawley said the posting reflected the strong wind, relative humidity of only 15 percent to 25 percent and dry forest conditions.

Nelson said the red flag designation is relatively unusual and occurs only three or four times each season.

"It warns people that conditions are very dangerous if a fire should get away," he said.

Unlike the Gray fire, others reported across Maine have involved only an acre or so of land. Nelson praised local fire departments for their quick responses and said the forest service was maintaining aerial surveillance flights to spot fires as quickly as possible.

He said the forest service is urging parents to talk with their children about fire dangers in the coming week, when many schools are on vacation. He said the state sometimes sees a spike in fires when school is out in the spring.

The weather service expects conditions to improve after Monday night, when an inch or more of rain is expected.

"We need a fairly steady rain, and I think we may get that," Hawley said.

By DIETER BRADBURY, Staff Writer, Portland Press Herald, April 18, 2009


Lakes:
Regions:


Print this story

Email this story

return to Lake News