Blaze under control; cause still unknown Firefighters combat hot spots in Derby fire

DERBY – Firefighters on Wednesday doused the hot spots remaining from a wildfire that swept through nearly an acre of field and piles of railroad ties.

The fire in Derby was one of several that burned on Tuesday in Maine, with 12 wildfires reported since Monday.

The cause of the fire that began on Bangor and Aroostook Railroad property on BNA Avenue in Derby, 300 yards from the road, still is under investigation, said Milo Police Chief Todd Lyford. Officials believe workers for the railroad reported a grass fire in the area just before 2 p.m.

“The fire had tremendous potential [to get out of hand],” Forest Ranger Jim Downie said. “It was only a couple hundred yards from about 30 homes.”

Officials had the fire under control by Tuesday evening, but remained to control flare-ups and hot spots throughout the night and morning hours, Lyford said. Thousands of railroad ties and several trees were destroyed, but neighboring homes were not damaged and no one was injured.

Witnesses reported seeing flames reach 30 to 40 feet into the air during the fire’s peak.

Creosote in the ties made the fire difficult to control, with temperatures reaching into thousands of degrees Fahrenheit, Downie said.

A controlled burn is not believed to be the cause of the wildfire, since burn permits had not been issued for Tuesday, Lyford said. More than 100 firefighters and Maine Forest Service members battled the blaze and began to leave the scene at 3 a.m. Wednesday. Milo, Brownville and Brownville Junction firefighters left the scene just after noon Wednesday, but will return to check the area intermittently.

Firefighters from Dover-Foxcroft, Sebec, Sangerville, Guilford, LaGrange, Bradford, Alton, Hudson and Cambridge also fought the blaze.

Gary Cook, a forest ranger in Milo who was on the scene shortly after the fire was discovered, played a key role in helping to get emergency equipment and personnel on the scene, Lyford said. Forest Service helicopters helped to keep forests along the field containing the railroad ties from catching fire.

“We were lucky to have him right in the area,” Lyford said. “It was all well-organized by the fire chief [Dave Preble] … There was a lot of coordination between the forest service and the fire departments.”

Emergency resources in the Piscataquis County region were further strained around 8 p.m. Tuesday when a forest fire that destroyed an acre and a half of woodland in Willimantic required the efforts of the Maine Forest Service and a Brownville Hot Shot crew, Downie said.

The fire burned along the Canadian and American railroad tracks, owned and maintained by Bangor and Aroostook Railroad, Downie said. The blaze likely was caused by smoldering vegetation after railroad maintenance crews recently burned vegetation along the tracks. By 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, the fire was under control.

Wildfires also were reported in Lebanon, Casco, Trescott Township and Hiram on Tuesday.

The largest wildfire in Maine this year was a fire that officials still are watching for flare-ups in Windsor, Downie said. The fire destroyed 60 acres.

Because of recent wildfires throughout the state, the Maine Forest Service is asking the public to take extra care with outdoor fires, Downie said.

Strong winds combined with warm temperatures have quickly dried out surface vegetation, raising fire danger levels to at least high in almost every section of Maine, Bill Williams, state forest fire control supervisor, said in a statement released Wednesday morning

“Until the ground is covered fully with new green growth, there may be a high potential for wildfires, particularly during windy days,” Williams said.