A wildland fire that burned more than five acres in Penobscot was 80% contained Sunday afternoon, fire officials said, as crews continued battling hot spots in dry conditions.
The fire was first reported at 11:38 a.m. Saturday near the intersection of Dunbar and Castine roads by a local resident and someone mowing a nearby field.
At its peak, flames ignited trees as high as 100 feet tall.
About 50 volunteer firefighters from at least 12 departments worked throughout Saturday, laying thousands of feet of hose into densely forested areas while other crews used portable water packs and hand tools, according to a Facebook post by the Penobscot Volunteer Fire Department.
The Maine Forest Service flew two helicopter water-dropping sorties from its Old Town air base. Privately owned bulldozers from Seal Ledge Marina and Bowden & Son Disposal cut a 25-foot-wide fire break around the perimeter, while a local tree and landscape company helped with tree cutting.
The fire was largely contained around 9 p.m. Saturday. Crews returned at 5 a.m. Sunday to deal with flare-ups.
Penobscot Fire Chief James Clarke noted the dry conditions. “Thankfully, wind speeds were relatively low, even though the direction was constantly changing, or this fire would have burned much more than five acres,” he said.
Maine Forest Service ranger Hayden Daigle said the area is experiencing a drought, and that there’s a “duff layer” of about two feet of combustible, organic material that can burn for days underground.
“We need saturating rain to bring soils out of drought status,” Daigle said. “We urge people to be cautious with all outdoor fires right now.”
Castine Road remains closed. Crews were expected to remain on scene through Monday.
Departments from Castine, Orland, Blue Hill, Surry, Brooksville, Sedgwick, Deer Isle, Stonington, Trenton, Hancock and Sullivan assisted Penobscot firefighters.