Non Structure Fires (Forest Fires)
Non Structure Fires (Forest Fires)
Destruction through burning of a thick growth of trees and underbrush covering an extensive tract of land. Minimum requirements for an event to be classified as a forest fire requires involvement of two acres or more.
Approximately 90% of the area of Maine is forested. Approximately 85% of Poland is forested.
Fires adjacent to railroads are commonly touched off by sparks from diesel locomotives. Lightning and arson are the other causes of fire.
Poland as well as Southwestern Interior portions of Maine are at a higher risk because of rapidly draining soils. This allows for naturally drier conditions.
Given the right combination of conditions, including winds, all areas of the town are vulnerable to the outbreak of a forest fire.
Each year Poland experiences several brush and woods fires. Most occurrances were limited to only 1 to 2 acres. There have been some instances in which 30-40 acres have burned. One of these large fires occured in Poland Spring around 1967 and another occured during the 1950's. Accurate records of these events were not kept.
The period of greatest risk is from early May to late October.
The speed of onset for a forest fire is rapid, with very little time for warning.
A forest fire event may last from several hours to several days.
The effects of a forest fire will be localized to the immediate area of burn. It should be kept in mind that it is almost impossible to forecast or plot the changing pattern of a fire. A forest fire can leap great distances across landscape and create its own wind and weather pattern.
Return