PEMBROKE, Maine — An intentionally set fire on Friday afternoon burned about an acre of Nature Conservancy land in Pembroke before local firefighters and forest rangers were able to put it out, according to the Maine Forest Service.
Firefighters determined that someone walked to the end of a nearly one-mile Nature Conservancy trail off Hersey Neck Road and set a fire, Ranger Jasmine Hammond said about 3 p.m. Friday, shortly after the blaze had been put out.
She said some evidence had been recovered from the scene, and rangers would continue to investigate.
Hammond said the fire burned pine needles, leaf litter and root systems as deep as 15 inches in some areas before rangers and firefighters from Pembroke and Dennysville were able to put it out.
The firefighters ran a 400-foot long hose and pumped tidal water from the nearby cove to douse the flames. They also used hand tools to dig down and get at the blaze.
“We hiked in and worked on it for about four hours before knocking it down,” Hammond said.