MOUNT DESERT, Maine — A wildfire burned within about 75 feet of former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell’s home Sunday evening, but the house was not damaged, according to the local fire chief.
The fire, which burned about an acre of woods near Mitchell’s property line with land owned by David Rockefeller, was accidentally set by Mitchell’s 17-year-old son as the teen was playing with a lighter, Fire Chief Mike Bender said Monday. Bender declined to identify Mitchell’s son by name because he is a juvenile.
“It got away from him,” Bender said. “He didn’t expect it.”
He added that no charges are expected to be filed.
Bender said the fire was reported about 5:55 p.m. Sunday by a resident of Cranberry Isles who saw the smoke rising above the trees from a couple miles away. Within a few minutes, before any firefighters arrived at Mitchell’s home in the local village of Seal Harbor, the son also called to report the blaze, Bender said.
Bender said the flames were brought under control by 6:45 p.m. and were contained to the Mitchell property. No injuries were reported.
The fire chief said about 31 firefighters from Mount Desert, Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor and Tremont fought the fire, while firefighters from Trenton stood by at Bar Harbor’s fire station in case they were needed. Northeast Harbor Ambulance sent personnel to the scene to help monitor the firefighters’ safety and Maine Forest Service also assisted, he said.
Sen. Mitchell is visiting MDI on vacation but was not at home when the fire occurred, Bender said.
