Wind-Whipped Grass Fire Burns Nearly 40 Acres in Caribou

Firefighters from several towns battled a large grass fire along Route 1 in Caribou late Monday, which charred nearly 40 acres before it was brought under control.

The fire at 453 Van Buren Road was reported around 4:30 p.m. and had already burned at least 3 acres when fire crews arrived, according to information from the Caribou Fire Department.

About 45 firefighters from Caribou, Limestone, Washburn and North Lakes Fire Departments, as well as the Maine Forest Service fought the wind-whipped fire for about 3 hours.

The Caribou Fire Department said extremely dry conditions and winds at around 25 m.p.h. made it a very dangerous fire which spread fast and eventually ended up causing a small woods fire. A Red Flag Warning was in effect at the time.

Presque Isle Fire Dept. provided coverage at the Caribou Fire Station Monday evening. The cause of the blaze is unknown at this time.

The Maine Forest Service says the fire danger remains high Tuesday across much of Aroostook County and is warning against any outdoor burning until the area receives a significant amount of rain.