Bucksport Fire Officials Suspend Burn Permits in High Fire Danger

Fire conditions around the state are at high levels, so the Bucksport Fire Department has suspended burn permits until further notice.

Is Bucksport the Only Community Banning Burn Permits?

While it's likely many communities are on the same page, Bucksport Fire officials decided to issue a statement on the Fire Department's Facebook page that no burn permits are being issued, at this time, due to high fire danger. According to Bucksport's Director of Public Safety Sean Geagan, on the day the Facebook post was created fire crews had battled a fire sparked by an unpermitted burn. It was contained quickly but could have been much worse.

The conditions are very dry at this point and we will need rain to help us out in the future.

The Maine Department of Agriculture Conservation and Forestry keeps track of fire danger on its website, with a map and descriptions of what each level means. High fire danger is achieved in dry conditions that make sparking a fire very easy. All the dead leaves and ground cover then causes those fires to spread quickly.

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Have There Been a Lot of Wildfires This Season?

In the past week, Maine Forest Rangers have shared some dramatic videos of wildfires, across the state. This one on the Southgate Road in Old Town burned a half-acre without threatening any homes.

Another, off Morse District Road in Steuben, shows dramatic flames in the midst of a lot of dry wood.

Mainers are reminded to use extra caution when conditions are dry and fire danger is high. This includes not tossing smoking materials out of your vehicle. Whether this is what sparked it or not, a wildfire was extinguished in the median of I-95 in Orono this week.

How Can I Keep Up With Fire Conditions?

Find more information about fire conditions and applications for burn permits on the Maine Open Burn Permit website.