Man burning cardboard sparks wildfire in Freedom, setting nearly 3 acres of land ablaze – Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel

FREEDOM A wildfire ignited and burnt nearly three acres of land in Freedom on Tuesday after a man burned materials without a permit, officials said.

The fire began at a 200 Getchell Ln. home while a resident was reportedly burning cardboard in a burn bin. The flames then got out-of-hand, said Freedom Volunteer Fire Department Chief James Waterman.

Waterman and his crew responded to the call at 1:32 p.m. and were on the scene for around two hours battling the blaze, he said. Around two and a half to three acres of forest land were burnt, he estimated.

It was a good size space, Waterman said.

The Freedom Volunteer Fire Department calls for mutual aid during the day when they are shorthanded, Waterman said. Albion, Unity, Montville Fire Departments responded to the wildfire for mutual aid, while Troy and Searsmont fire departments, along with Morrill Volunteer Fire Department, were on standby.

The individual is being processed by the Maine Forest Service since he did not have a permit to burn.

Waterman said it is free to get a burn permit in Maine, and certain permits are valid for one day only. With a burn permit, a person can only burn after 5 p.m. and before 9 a.m. on low or moderate fire-danger days.

Tuesday was considered a low fire-danger day for most of the state, including Freedom, according to the Maine Forest Services Wildfire Danger Report.

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Man burning cardboard sparks wildfire in Freedom, setting nearly 3 acres of land ablaze - Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel