A brush fire burned about a quarter-acre of land and spread into nearby woods off Stoneybrook Lane in Bristol the afternoon of Tuesday, June 2.
Bristol Fire Chief Paul Leeman Jr. said the fire appeared to have started in the middle of a field and spread about 100 feet into the woods before it could be contained.
“This was not a permitted burn. We’ve had no permits in the town for almost two weeks,” Leeman said.
Fire danger was moderate in the area Tuesday, according to the Maine Forestry Service.
“It’s moderate by state, but it’s very high by my standards,” Leeman said.
Dry weather, warm temperatures, and wind all raise the danger of brush fires.
According to Bristol tax records, Chad C. Bolster of Walpole, own the property at 26 Stoneybrook Lane where the fire occurred.
Daniel Welch, a forest ranger from the Maine Forest Service, responded to investigate the origin point and cause of the fire. No information was immediately available.
Lincoln County Communications dispatched the Bristol Fire Department at 2:10 p.m.
Leeman said that when the first Bristol firefighters arrived, they used the deck gun on the top of their fire truck to soak the perimeter around the blaze.
Leeman said they didn’t have enough reach with a standard fire hose until another unit arrived with a forestry line that could be split off around the right and left flanks of the fire to contain it.
Leeman described a forestry line as a thinner and longer fire hose that can be split off and carried on shoulder packs for easier portability.
The burn was fueled by piles of chopped wood and brush scattered throughout the open field, Leeman said.
At 2:28 p.m., the Bremen, Damariscotta, Newcastle, and Nobleboro fire departments were dispatched to bring more water.
“We’re running a tanker shuttle from Bristol Mills Dam,” Leeman said.
Leeman reported that the fire was out at about 3:15 p.m. Firefighters continued to dig up hot spots and soak the ground until shortly after 5:45 p.m., when they cleared the scene.
