Maine

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BANGOR, Maine (AP) - Lightning has sparked nearly two dozen
forest fires in central and northern Maine, the Maine Forest
Service said as efforts continued to contain several of the fires
that were still burning.
Most of the 22 fires reported in recent days were in remote
areas of northern Penobscot, Piscataquis and Aroostook counties.
The Forest Service used helicopters to contain many of the fires
until crews could reach them. They ranged in size from small spot
fires to a six-acre blaze.
The largest fire was in Township 3 Range 7 at Deasey Mountain
west of Staceyville in northern Penobscot County.
About 20 firefighters were called to the area, but because of
the steep terrain mechanized equipment could not be brought in,
Regional Ranger Russ Beauchemin of the forest service said.
Instead, firefighters had to stretch about 7,000 feet of hose to
attack the flames, the ranger said.
Jim Downie of the Forest Service said Thursday that rangers were
still mopping up more than 20 fires, and they expect to find more
lightning strikes in the coming days.
He said the fire danger remained very high throughout the state,
and an inch of steady rain would be needed to bring the danger down
to moderate.
With rain in the forecast Thursday night, a bit of relief could
be on the way, Downie added.
"If we get a quarter-inch of rain, it'll help us for a day or
two," he said. "We need a lot more than that."
The Forest Service warned people against open burning of debris,
noting that fire permits are required in most cases.
Downie said that despite the fact that most of the current fires
were started by lightning, nine out of 10 forest fires overall are
caused by people.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press

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[B]Classic groundfire conditions....[B]

STACEYVILLE, Maine (AP) - More than 40 firefighters returned
Tuesday to the site of a stubborn forest fire that continued to
flare up more than a week after it was ignited by lightning on
Deasey Mountain.
The blaze destroyed 25 acres of forest west of Staceyville, a
mile from the nearest access road, said Bill Greaves, district
forest ranger from Island Falls.
Forty volunteers and five rangers were using more than 14,000
feet of hose to get water from a pond as well as pumps to push the
water up the side of the mountain to an elevation of 1,500 feet,
Greaves said.
Ground conditions are so dry that the fire is burning
underground and then resurfacing to burn additional acreage. The
fire doubled in the days leading up to Tuesday's renewed effort to
contain it.
"Unless we get some heavy rains, it's likely that we'll be here
for a long time. The fire is burning under rocks, making for some
of the most difficult mop-up work I've ever seen," Greaves said.
Weather forecasts indicate that some portions of Maine have the
driest conditions in year, said Jim Downie, spokesman for the Maine
Forest Service.
The forest fire danger continues to be very high across the
state, and rangers are urging people to refrain from any open
burning until there is substantial rain, Downie said.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press