Bangor fire chief warns of wildfire risk in wildland-urban interface, outlines preparedness steps

Fire Chief Jeffrey Lowe told the Bangor City Government Operations Committee on March 1 that the city faces a real risk of wildland fire where homes sit close to forested areas and that the department is trained for basic wildland suppression but depends on mutual aid for large incidents.

Lowe said Maine's heavily forested landscape and development tucked into tree lines create wildland-urban interface areas where wildfire risk is higher. He told the committee that Bangor firefighters are trained to apply water to wildland fires, construct fire lines and manage incoming mutual-aid resources.

"We are trained in basic wildland fire suppression," Lowe said. "More importantly is, we're pretty well versed in managing resources." He added that initial responses to reports of smoke or fire typically dispatch a single engine until more information is available, and that large incidents would commit all Bangor apparatus and require outside assistance.

Lowe described the common causes of wildfires in Maine as human activity — careless disposal of smoking materials, escaped brush and camp fires, and equipment sparks — with lightning as the primary natural cause. He emphasized weather, fine fuels and wind as key variables that increase risk.

"When we have dry conditions and winds of 15 miles an hour or greater, that certainly increases our risk for a major conflagration," Lowe said.

Lowe reviewed local equipment and tactics: Bangor has a tanker truck stationed at the airport, engines that carry water and hand tools capable of wildland work, and relies on neighboring departments for specialty vehicles such as additional tankers and ATVs. He also said the department meets minimum training requirements and will focus community risk reduction messaging this spring.

Councilor Leonard thanked Lowe for the memo and requested attention to seasonal flooding and wind issues as well as wildfire risk. Other councilors commended the chief and said they looked forward to public awareness work.

Lowe urged residents in interface areas to reduce vulnerability by clearing pine needles and other fine fuels from roofs and gutters, keeping woodpiles and other combustibles away from structures, maintaining equipment to avoid sparks, and carefully disposing of ashes.

The committee did not take formal action; Lowe said he planned community outreach and that additional risk-reduction materials would be released in the spring.