Mainers Urged To Be Cautious As Fire Danger Remains Very High

It's been a busy season for Maine's Forest Rangers. While most of us are loving all the warm, dry weather, they're spending their time battling wildfires. With Red Flag warnings still being issued, Mainers are urged to be careful.

It seems hard to believe, given the amount of snow we had, and the rain we got to help melt the snow, that fire conditions would be so high. But it's all that very dry stuff on top of the ground that's causing problems. Add in low relative humidity, gusty winds, and warm temperatures, and fire conditions are critical.

The Maine Forest Service and local fire departments are not issuing burn permits right now, and they will be checking on any smoke that they see. So, take all that debris from your yard, and just put it off to the side until conditions improve.

In addition, don't do anything outside that might spark a fire. Put your smoking materials out responsibly, and don't toss them out the window of your car. Don't start a fire in your outdoor fire pit right now because the wind could take sparks into the dry grass. Anything that could produce a spark is dangerous is such volatile conditions.

Forest Ranger Jeff Currier says, if you do have a fire that gets out of control, call 911 immediately. Even if you think you can put it out yourself, call anyway. That way, crews can be rolling in your direction in case they're needed. That extra few minutes can make a huge difference in the outcome of the fire. For more information, log onto the website for the Maine Forest Service.