A fire at an illegal campsite in Acadia National Park burned a fifth of an acre on Cadillac Mountain on Friday, according to park officials.
The fire, located near the base of Cadillac Summit Road, was reported to park rangers around 5 p.m. Friday, June 7, Acadia officials said Monday. Firefighters responded from Bar Harbor and Mount Desert and had the fire extinguished within an hour.
The area burned is estimated at 0.21 acres, and “at least one person of interest” has been identified as being involved, park officials said, without identifying the person.
“In the past two weeks, three illegal campsites, all with open fires activity, have been located in the park,” park officials said, adding that camping in Acadia is allowed only at four campgrounds operated by the National Park Service. So-called “backcountry” camping is prohibited.
Park officials also said in the release that rangers recently have noticed that more legal campfires at the campgrounds have been left unattended — which should not be done.
“Even a small breeze could quickly cause the fire to spread,” park officials said. “When leaving a campsite or picnic area, drown the campfire with water to ensure no hot embers remain.”
