It took firefighters from several towns about four hours Tuesday afternoon and evening to bring a forest fire in Berwick under control.

The cause of the fire, which started in a heavily wooded area off Long Swamp Road, remains under investigation by the Maine Forest Service, said Berwick Assistant Fire Chief Bruce Plante.

About 3.5 acres of woods were destroyed by the fire, which was fought by firefighters from eight neighboring towns, Plante said. Extremely dry conditions likely helped the fire spread over a broad area quickly, he said.

Fire crews responded around 4 p.m., but were not able to bring the fire under control until 8 p.m., Plante said. No homes were threatened and no injuries were reported.