AUGUSTA — In an effort to cut the number of wildfires, the Maine Forest Service asks that people burning fields do so during evening hours.

Last year, 230 grass or debris fires got out of control, accounting for 22 percent of all fires reported in Maine. Three suspicious fires in Trescott, Lubec and Edmunds continue to be investigated, and rangers said they have information on suspects. The largest of the three, in Lubec, burned 25 acres of brush, grass and young conifer trees. Rangers ask anyone with information about these or other fires to call the Maine Wildfire Arson Program at 1-800-987-0257.

“If the public would just limit their open burning of grass and other debris to evening and nighttime hours, we would see a drastic reduction in the number of reported wildfires in Maine,” said Jim Downie of the MFS. Downie said that escaped debris fires have been the No. 1 cause of wildfires.

Rangers and local fire officials in Maine were busy last weekend controlling wildfires, a forest service spokesman said.

During evening hours, temperatures are down and wind is much reduced. Relative humidity also increases, helping avert out-of-control fires.

Under Maine fire prevention laws, anyone planning to burn debris must obtain a written fire permit from the town forest fire warden. Most communities in Maine limit open burning to after 5 p.m. In unorganized areas, permits may be obtained from forest rangers.