A Maine Forest Service helicopter flies above a firefighting crew near the scene of a large wildfire that burned overnight in Kennebunk. Officials said the fire is more than 50 percent contained Thursday morning. (Gregory Rec/Portland Press Herald)
The Maine Forest Service and local firefighters are still working to contain a wildfire that spread overnight to 75 acres near the Kennebunk-Sanford town line.
The fire, which started Wednesday afternoon, is about 50 percent contained, according to the forest service. Fire crews from more than a dozen communities responded to fight the blaze.
George Harris, district ranger for the forest service, said a helicopter would be used starting at 8 a.m. to look at the fire. Drones are being used to get a better look at the parts of Sanford, Kennebunk and Wells affected by the fire. The forest service is using GPS Thursday morning to determine the exact acreage of the wildfire.
Harris said the fire behavior is low and he expects minimal spreading Thursday because of the “excellent work by area firefighters and our Rangers,” according to a fire service tweet.
The forest service said Wednesday evening that protections for several nearby homes had been put in place.
The fire was first reported in the vicinity of 22 Wild Turkey Lane in Kennebunk at 3:53 p.m. Wednesday. The cause is unknown, but most of southern and coastal Maine was in a moderate fire danger zone Wednesday.
Fire officials believe the fire started in Sanford before it spread to Kennebunk. The affected area is a large piece of land just south of the city-owned Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport between Routes 99 and 109.
The forest service issued warnings to property owners to be extra cautions when burning brush or materials. Rangers say that the chance of a wildfire breaking out is very high right now because forests and open spaces have not had enough time to grow greenery. The Maine Department of Transportation also issued a warning Wednesday urging drivers to refrain from throwing cigarettes out car windows.
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