As a result of four “red flag days” in a row, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry is asking people to be extremely careful with any outdoor fires. So far, throughout Maine, there have been over 100 wildfires that have burned well over 100 acres. Most of these fires are caused by people being careless while burning outdoors. Either the fire gets away from them, or they fail to fully extinguish the fire and it rekindles the next day.
The environmental conditions right now will allow an escaped fire to spread rapidly and could threaten homes and forested areas. Warm afternoon temperatures, low relative humidity, and gusty, dry winds are a recipe for wildfire. Combined with dry, dead grass and fallen branches from last year, it doesn’t take much for a small fire to get out of control.
The Maine Forest Service advises people to postpone burning their brush piles or having a recreational campfire until their area gets a significant amount of rainfall. The wildfire danger report is issued each morning and is a good way to determine whether it’s safe to have an outdoor fire.
The Maine Forest Service asks the public to visit http://maine.gov/dacf/mfs/wildfire_danger_report/index.html and sign up to receive the predicted class day via email or text message. Burn permits are also required for burning brush and, in some municipalities, to have a campfire.
For more information, contact Fire Prevention Specialist Kent Nelson at 287-4989.
The Maine Forest Service is part of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.