GOULDSBORO, Maine — A fire that burned 2 acres of woods along Route 1 near the Sullivan town line late Tuesday afternoon is believed to have been started when an unpermitted burn spread out of control, according to the Maine Forest Service.
Ranger John Cousins said a local property owner obtained a burn permit online a few minutes after 3:30 p.m., only two minutes before the out-of-control fire was reported to officials, leading officials to suspect the man had started the burn before he had obtained the permit.
He did not identify the homeowner because he had not yet issued the man a summons.
The fire has been contained to the debris piles and the homeowner has been told he must monitor the smoldering piles throughout the night, to make sure they do not flare up again, Cousins said.
The local Fire Department will check on the burn at some point during to night to make sure it is being properly monitored.
The ranger added that the past several days have kept forest rangers and several municipal fire departments busy.
A fire Sunday that burned just less than 30 acres in Cathance Township in Washington County was still smoldering Monday and continues to be monitored, he said. A fire that burned 1.5 acres in Orrington late Monday was “put to bed” Tuesday morning, he added, while another blaze that burned half an acre Monday off Laughing Loon Road in Bucksport was caused by a downed power line.
The Orrington fire, he said, was traced to a makeshift camp and remains under investigation.
According to the forest service’s Facebook page, rangers also have dealt with fires over the past several days in Augusta, Benton, Harpswell and Vanceboro, as well as Mount Abram near Kingfield and on Mount Blue in Weld.
