More than 19 acres burned last weekend throughout the state when fires got out of control while people were attempting to burn grass and debris on their properties.

Some of the fires were permitted but violated the provisions cited in the permit, while others weren’t authorized, according to a state forest official.

“We had about 16 escaped-debris fires over Saturday and Sunday statewide,” Jim Downie of the Maine Forest Service said Monday.

Several of those fires occurred in Penobscot County, while about a half-dozen were in the southern part of the state. An abandoned building in Corinth caught fire Sunday as the result of an out-of-control grass fire, and several other buildings were threatened, according to Downie.

Maine forest rangers issued several court summons over the weekend to people who either failed to obtain an open-burn permit or for not following safety conditions listed in the permit.

Forest service officials urge people to obtain burn permits and to follow the safety precautions they are given. Most importantly, they say not to burn between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. when temperatures are up and winds generally are higher.

“This time of the year it’s kind of ironic that we’ll have a flood watch and warning in the northern part of the state, and in the southern coastal sections, we’ve got wildfires,” Downie said.

He added that more than half of the wildfires in Maine occur in April and May.

“The bottom line is people don’t understand how quickly that small fire can get out of control,” Downie said.

People often have good intentions of burning an acre or so of grass or getting rid of brush and debris piles on their property, but before they know it, what started as a small fire gets out of control, he said.

What people sometimes don’t realize is that they can be held accountable for thousands of dollars in damage to surrounding properties. They also can be responsible for fire suppression costs, which can exceed $125,000.

“The costs can build up very, very rapidly,” Downie said. “It’s a privilege to burn, but it’s a huge responsibility.”

Forest service helicopters cost about $1,000 an hour to operate, and fire engines can cost in excess of $200 to $300 per hour. The average price tag of a fire per acre is between $500 and $800.

But people shouldn’t let possible costs deter them from calling in professionals if a fire gets away from them.

“Ultimately the cost is going to be far greater,” Downie said. As soon as someone notices that a fire is getting out of control, they should call the fire department, he added.

Local fire departments and wardens are in charge of issuing burn permits to residents in their areas. Depending on the town’s regulations, permits typically aren’t good for more than three days.

Permits are required for burning any material outdoors year-round. Depending on fire danger, some restrictions may be in place. Rubber, plastic and asphalt products cannot be burned.

Many of the people burning last weekend were surprised that the wind spread their small fires, and they found themselves without the manpower or water supply to stop the flames, Downie noted.

“This time of the year, it just is too risky for people to be burning during those afternoon times,” he said.

The Maine Forest Service was called in to assist in some of this weekend’s fires and used the service’s Huey helicopters to suppress flames in places.

“It’s typical this time of year,” Downie said. “If this wind keeps up, chances are we’ll have some more.”

Fire danger fluctuates this time of year because the winter debris left behind has little to no moisture in it, he explained.

“We can get rain, say tonight, and in another day, it’s ready to burn again,” Downie said. “It dries out quickly, soaks up moisture quickly, and dries out again quickly.”

The fire danger lessens once the grass begins to turn green and the trees begin to leaf out.

“Debris fires are a number one cause historically of wildfires in Maine,” Downie said. “We’d have very few escaped fires if people would just follow our advice.”