VASSALBORO — A woods fire that began Tuesday and was quelled on Wednesday later rekindled in a few spots, officials say.
The fire, which started about a mile away from a log yard off of Gray Road, left a few hot spots, five or six of which flared up again around 9:30 a.m. Thursday.
Hot spots occur when fire burns into the duff layer of soil. If the dirt gets too hot again the fire might reignite.
“It’s pretty typical for a wildfire like that,” Forest Ranger Mark Rousseau said.
The Vassalboro Fire Department, along with the Maine Forest Service, responded to the fire, which the department discovered while checking the area. Most of the fire was out by the time the rangers arrived, Rousseau said, and it was extinguished in about an hour.
However, it’s likely that the hot spots will continue to flare up, though the fires they cause should be minor, he said.
The Fire Department is expected to continue to monitor the area until it’s fully extinguished.
The woods fire originally was caused by sparks that flew off a chain saw on a skidder, according to officials. A logger heading back into the area after lunch at noon discovered the fire, and firefighters from Vassalboro, Winslow and South China responded, as well as the Forest Service and Maine State Police.
Firefighters worked until dark, then took shifts watching the fire to make sure it stayed contained. It was put out at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Madeline St. Amour — 861-9239
mstamour@centralmaine.com
Twitter: @madelinestamour
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