Wildfire at Morse Pond Preserve
Thank you to local fire departments & emergency responders!
Last Sunday, a forest fire was discovered near the shore of Morse Pond in Georgetown after smoke was sighted. The local volunteer fire department and responders from over a dozen surrounding communities worked together to identify, contain, and extinguish the fire that burned in the forest floor duff - a layer of partly decayed leaves, pine needles, twigs, wood, and bark that accumulates on the forest floor. This type of fire, the drought conditions, and the remote location made it difficult to find and put out. As a result, a massive effort by responders was required.
KELT is incredibly grateful to the fire departments, responders, and volunteers for their swift and decisive action to limit and stop the fire's spread.
Morse Pond Preserve is now open again to visitors after being temporarily closed last week.
View of the forest floor near the Morse Pond shoreline on Thursday, August 18 after the fire was fully extinguished. The fire was burning in the duff layer - a layer of partly decayed leaves, pine needles, twigs, wood, and bark that accumulates on the forest floor.
Thank you to the Georgetown Volunteer Fire Department for your exceptional response.
We also want to thank all the mutual aid fire departments who responded or sent equipment: Alna, Arrowsic, Bath, Boothbay, Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Bristol, Dresden, Edgecomb, Harpswell, Newcastle, Orrs Bailey Island, Pittston, Richmond, Topsham, West Bath, Wiscasset, Woolwich, Maine Forest Service.
Other supporting agencies included: Sagadahoc County Communications Center, Mid Coast Paramedic Interceptor, Sagadahoc County Emergency Management Agency, Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Department, and the Salvation Army.
PC: Georgetown Volunteer Fire Department
The Georgetown Volunteer Fire Department Informational Statement
by Brian Whalen, Georgetown Fire Chief
At 1:17pm on Sunday, August 14, 2022 the Georgetown Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched for a smoke investigation in the area of 1156 Five Islands Rd. Light smoke was found in the area but no source was immediately apparent. Assistant Chief LoDolce eventually located the fire on the west edge of Morse Pond. He established command and requested mutual aid from surrounding communities and the Maine Forest Service. The fire was located over a half mile from the nearest road and very difficult to access. The Maine Forest service helicopter was requested and made several water drops limiting fire advancement.
Throughout Sunday afternoon and evening GVFD and mutual aid departments worked to extinguish the remaining fire. Water was pumped directly from Morse Pond with portable pumps. A perimeter was established and the fire was contained at approximately two acres. There were no structures threatened at any time. With the fire contained operations were suspended overnight.
GVFD and mutual aid departments returned in the morning Monday, August 15, 2022 at 6:30am and worked until 4pm extinguishing hot spots. A walk through of the area Tuesday morning found several additional spots burning. GVFD responded for a third day and worked from 9:30am until 1pm. The nature of this fire made it very difficult to extinguish as it was in the top ground layer (duff) and the root system. This is very manpower intensive and difficult to find and extinguish...
While this fire did not originate on Morse Pond Preserve...
A friendly reminder that campfires are not permitted on KELT preserves.
Always remember and follow the lessons from Smokey the Bear on how to completely extinguish camp fires.
Check out the links below for additional fire safety information:
Questions? Contact us at info@kennebecestuary.org or 207-442-8400.
