Crews tackle Monday grass fire

    PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — A grass fire Monday afternoon in a field off the Caribou Road is being deemed accidental, caused when haying equipment struck a rock, creating sparks that ignited dry material.
“We received a call reporting a grass fire around 1 p.m. just off Route 1, near the PT barn north of the city. The fire started when equipment used to cut hay struck some rocks, causing sparks that ignited the field,” said Deputy Chief Rich Wark, of the Presque Isle Fire Department.
Wark said it was the underlying vegetation that caught fire.
“They’d planted hay over oat stubble. The oat stubble was very dry and caught fire,” said the deputy chief.
The blaze consumed about seven acres before it was extinguished.
“We received mutual aid from Caribou on site, while Easton covered the station. We also were assisted by the Maine Forest Service,” said Wark.
Wark said 15 firefighters responded; the scene was cleared around 3 p.m. No injuries were reported as a result of the fire. Firefighters battled dehydration by downing bottled water as they tackled the blaze. Crews were able to get to the site, located about a quarter mile from the main road, using an ATV equipped with a water tank, as well as equipment provided by the Forestry Service, including a brush truck.
As a result of the fire, Wark said the crew harvesting hay was asked to change locations.
“We asked them to close down haying in this field and move to a different location for now,” he said.
Wark said fire conditions are reaching dangerous levels, with the increased temperatures the area is experiencing this week.
“Things are drying out, creating potentially dangerous circumstances. We’re considering restricting burning in the area until the temperatures cool down and we receive some rain,” Wark said.
Wark urged anyone with a burn permit to call their respective fire departments before burning anything. For more information in the Presque Isle area, call the PIFD at 769-0881. Burn permits are required for anyone planning a fire, including bonfires and burning brush.