NORWAY — At least two juveniles set fire to more than an acre of woods on Pikes Hill just before noon Thursday, according to a Maine Forest Service ranger.

No injuries were reported and no arrests will be made, but the juveniles will be remanded to a juvenile fire-setter program, Ranger Matt Bennett of the Maine Forest Service said. The program is aimed at young, first-time offenders who are not seen as a risk for setting a fire again, he said.

The names and ages of the juveniles are not being released.

The youths attempted to put the fire out themselves before at least one ran home, Bennett said. No one should try to put out a fire under those conditions, he said.

“They needed to just get away,” he said.

Bennett said firefighters and forest rangers are always on alert, particularly during school vacations.

“Our awareness level goes way up,” Bennett said.

Students in the Oxford Hills School District are on vacation this week.

Firefighters from eight towns made their way into the woods with hoses and walked a good half a mile and rode all terrain vehicles to get to the scene, fire Chief Dennis Yates said. There is no water supply in the area, he said. The stubborn fire that was fanned by high winds and a sloping surface.

The fire was discovered by a passing ambulance driver and Norway firefighter who saw smoke about 11:45 a.m. and alerted the Fire Department. Traffic was diverted at the bottom of Pikes Hill Road and Orchard Street for about three hours.

Thursday was a Class 3 day, which means the fire danger is high. The classification is on a scale of one to five, with five being extreme danger. Under category 3, unattended brush and campfires are likely to escape, according to the Maine Forest Service.

Bennett said that although the ground is saturated not far from the surface because of the heavy amounts of snow this winter, the ground surface is very dry and susceptible to fire.

In Norway, an ordinance mandates that anyone who is going to have a fire, be it a brush fire or just a campfire, must first get a permit from the town.

Firefighters from West Paris, Paris, Oxford, Otisfield, Harrison, Waterford and Greenwood assisted Norway firefighters at the scene. A PACE ambulance stood by.

ldixon@ sunjournal.com

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