As a coastal community that is 80% water, you might think Harpswell is an unlikely place to worry about wildfires, but when you look around and see that much of the remaining 20% is forested, you realize why it is important to know more. There are several federal and state agencies that regulate and protect the vast stretches of forest, particularly in northern Maine. Closer to home, Harpswell has three volunteer fire stations and a Fire Administrator who is a member of the Town staff.

Mike Drake is our town’s Fire Administrator and worked in forestry in the midwest for several years. He shared that because Harpswell is surrounded by the ocean, our level of humidity is higher than many other parts of the country. In essence, our trees and plants are usually damp, which makes them somewhat resistant to fire.

That being said, wildfire risk has become a bigger concern in Harpswell recently because, as most of us know, 2025 has been a dry year. As of this writing, according to the US Drought Monitor, Cumberland County suffered the fourth driest August in the last 131 years and is officially declared as in “severe drought.” The lack of rainfall not only dries the land, but it dries the leaves and pine needles, causing them to collect on the forest floor. This is a situation we ignore at our own risk.

So what do we need to know? First, 95% of all wildfires are caused by humans. This is tragic but it also means that if we are the cause, we are also in a position to prevent forest fires. I know this is true because a talking bear in a Ranger’s hat told me so, long ago.

David Mercier, chief of the Harpswell Neck Fire Department, told me about two types of fires. A grass fire burns across the surface of the ground; it is particularly scary because there is a lot of visible flame and it moves fast. Fortunately, if the fire does not encounter another fuel, it is relatively easy to contain and will burn itself out. More treacherous is a true wildfire in which fallen and standing trees catch fire. These fires can create radiant heat sufficient to ignite adjacent trees, spread quickly, and cause a lot of damage. A concern for homeowners is that a wildfire will generate airborne embers that can travel to open ground, outbuildings, bushes near a house, and to rooftops.

By law, any fire (such as a fire pit) more than three feet in diameter and three feet high requires a fire permit. This includes burning trash, yard waste, and construction debris. In recent years, Maine has moved to a statewide online application system. Permits are issued on the day of the intended burn and can be accessed after 9:00 am when the state issues the day’s Maine Forest Service Wildfire Danger Report. Burn permits are only issued if the wildfire danger risk is deemed low or moderate. When a permit is issued, a text message is instantly sent to all fire safety personnel in the relevant area. In 2024, Harpswell issued 1077 burn permits, which averages about three per day. Burning without a permit is subject to a fine of $5-500 plus whatever additional costs are incurred by responding personnel. If you want to know if there is a burn ban in Harpswell on a particular day, you can check out the fire danger map here or follow the Town’s Facebook page for notifications.

A special request from Mike Drake: anyone creating a fire on an island should get a permit, even if it is small enough that this is not required. He explained that sometimes a small legal fire on an island is seen by someone on the mainland who calls it in. This requires that the fire safety crew secure a boat and equipment and go to check it out, which requires time and effort. This is unnecessary if a permit was issued because, as mentioned, local fire personnel would have been alerted to this.

Landowners with forested properties of more than a couple acres are encouraged to steward their land to protect against fires. This would involve hiring a trained forester to inspect the land and provide a plan to protect against fire damage by removing fallen and dead timber. Learn more here.

Following these safety measures will reduce the risk to yourself and our community. As Smokey says, only you — and he’s talking to all of us — can prevent forest fires.