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When I was a kid, we used to take day trips to MDI. I remember exploring in the woods there & finding foundations & bits of debris from homes that had burned in the 1947 Bar Harbor fire. I guess my parents knew which spots to look in, because these were pretty obscure places where we would park & then hike through the woods. I was probably 4-6 years old & found the whole thing very exciting & fascinating!
There are indeed forest fires, but from my understanding they are mostly the type that clear out undergrowth & keep the forest healthy. Blueberries apparently grow well after fires... we used to pick at Abol Hill (near Katahdin) after it had burned.
Most of the fires in the news are chimney fires, underscoring the need for keeping a clean chimney. There's also the occasional arson (as in downtown Lincoln, what, 10-12 years ago?), but I wouldn't imagine that happens more in Maine than in any other place throughout the country.
Just recently there was a screwball who set a whole downtown on fire wasn't there? Can't think of the name of the small town. Burnt most of the center to a crisp.
Eastport has seen more than its fair share of devastating fires in its history. The historic fire of October 1886 explains why most buildings downtown have the date 1887 on them as that was when the town was rebuilt.
A MAINE TOWN IN FLAMES.
THE DISASTROUS FIRE THAT SWEPT THROUGH EASTPORT.
PORTLAND, Me., Oct. 14.----The most disastrous fire that ever visited Eastport laid waste to-day a large portion of the town. The fire caught among the sardine factories, of which there are eight situated close to the water front. Water-street is the principal business thoroughfare, and at latest accounts this street was being rapidly destroyed by the fire, and it was branching off to streets occupied by dwelling houses. The Passamaquoddy Hotel was on fire, and it was feared the fire could not be staid. Fortunately there is no wind. Although the town was burned two years ago, still all the protection against fire they have got are two old-fashioned hand fire engines. The fire started in G. W. Capen's sardine factory, and swept with resistless fury through Water-street. At last accounts four sardine factories had been burned in addition to many stores and dwelling houses. The telegraph poles were burned, so that no dispatches have been received for some hours. Linemen and operators have been sent from Calais, 40 miles away, but it is feared the lines will not be repaired before morning. Following is a list of the packing houses there: Quoddy Packing Company, G. F. Raye & Co., Stimpson & Torrey, J. Henderson, Hailett Brothers, Daniel McCulloch, M. C. Holmes &Co., P. M. Kane, G. W. Capen, T. L. Holmes & Co., Eagle Preserved Fish Company, Charles Brewster, E. A. Holmes, H. Blanchard & Sons, T. D. Torrey, George W. Grady & Co., R. C. Green & Co., American Sardine Company.
The loss is estimated at $230,000, with partial insurance. Some 10 wharves and 50 buildings are probably burned. Julius Wolfe owned one of the factories. His insurance is $60,000.
The New York Times, New York, NY 15 Oct 1886
EASTPORT AFTER THE FIRE.
A RELIEF COMMITTEE ORGANIZED TO RELIEVE THE DESTITUTE.
EASTPORT, Me., Oct. 16.---Eastport is dreary looking place to-night. The view across the bay is not obstructed by a single building on Water-street from Key-street to Adams-street and the entire length of Sea-street. It is as yet impossible to give the separate losses and insurance. Several insurance agents from Portland and Boston are here making estimates, but they can give no figures yet. Gen. Leavitt, the largest local insurance agent, estimates the total loss to be over $800,000, but he can give nothing definite about the amount of insurance.
The several safes were opened to-day with a better result than was expected. The report that the insurance books and reports were destroyed was a mistake. All the savings banks, the Frontier Bank, and Post Office books, were found to be safe or nearly so, as was the insurance papers. The most serious part of the calamity is that a great number of families are homeless and destitute and out of employment. One hundred families, without homes, many of whom formerly were quite comfortable, are now living with friends. The suffering will increase as the weather gets colder. A relief committee has been organized and some aid has been received, but only sufficient to relieve temporary distress. The Mayor of Bangor sends $2,000; the Mayor of Calais $500; Frank Peavy, of Sioux City, $250; American National Bank, $100; E. T. Russell & Co., of Boston, $100; E. S. Buxton, E. H. Buckman, and Fulton Peavy, of Sioux City, $100. The sardine factories will be rebuilt, but not this Fall. They could not be built in time for the season's packing, which ends, by law, Dec. 15.
Thieves have been busy day and night since the fire, and some have reaped rich harvests. They went in gangs from store to store while the fire raged, broke open doors, carried out goods, and destroyed what they could not carry away. At night they went with teams to the fields where goods had been left for safety and plundered the unfortunate people. They were like tigers that had got a taste of blood, and the worst among them were those from the neighboring Canadian islands, who came in boats and loitered about like vultures over dead carcasses. Capt. Dean, of the revenue cutter Woodbury, to-day ordered these Canadian thieves to leave the harbor and not return except for legitimate purposes. To-night none are to be seen.
The New York Times, New York, NY 17 Oct 1886
Of course the town had just burned down some two decades previously.
Disastrous Fire at Eastport, Me.
A fire broke out at half past 1, Sunday morning, on Union wharf, Eastport, Me., and continued until 8, consuming all the business part of the town. About fifty places of business were destroyed, including the best stores. The building containing the Frontier bank and telegraph office, &c., was burned. Loss estimated at $500,000.
There was the great Bar Harbor fire of '46 or '48.
Ah yes,the great fire of 47, but there is more too it then just drought and fire. 1947 was the one of the highest years for sheep production in Maine and many, many acres were being grazed by sheep. I have sheep myself and love them, but the wooly creatures can overgraze very easily, and with so many sheep, and incredibly dry year, the topography was acres upon acres of tinder-dry grazing land. This stretched far beyond just Bar Harbor too and encompassed a lot of the coastline and inland in the organized towns. In other words, where there were plenty of sheep.
They did not have a very good forest fire fighting equipment back then either, since the Forest Service considered Maine unburnable because of all the moisture we get (Foggiest place on the east coast). 1947 changed that.
Forest Fires in Maine are indeed pretty rare. I have seen a few here and the biggest was an acre in size. With modern fire fighting equipment in every town, heavy aircraft patrols during drought, lots of snow in the winter, lots of rain in the summer, and very few large scale sheep operations grazing, forest fires of any size are rare.
That being said, you do know that Maine is vastly different from Southern California though don't you? We might not get fires but we do get snow. 20 below and blowing 20 will make you wish you were on fire.
(AustinB...not giving you any grief, just adding some background info you might not have known about, that's all.)
Just recently there was a screwball who set a whole downtown on fire wasn't there? Can't think of the name of the small town. Burnt most of the center to a crisp.
I believe you are thinking of Milo...burned down the only hardware store in the area! I have a hard time finding stuff when I'm working up in Milo/Brownville now...can only imagine what it must be like to live there now.
I believe you are thinking of Milo...burned down the only hardware store in the area! I have a hard time finding stuff when I'm working up in Milo/Brownville now...can only imagine what it must be like to live there now.
Yes, that's it. Milo. It was devastating to the town and the people affected.
Eastport has seen more than its fair share of devastating fires in its history. The historic fire of October 1886 explains why most buildings downtown have the date 1887 on them as that was when the town was rebuilt.
A MAINE TOWN IN FLAMES.
THE DISASTROUS FIRE THAT SWEPT THROUGH EASTPORT.
PORTLAND, Me., Oct. 14.----The most disastrous fire that ever visited Eastport laid waste to-day a large portion of the town. The fire caught among the sardine factories, of which there are eight situated close to the water front. Water-street is the principal business thoroughfare, and at latest accounts this street was being rapidly destroyed by the fire, and it was branching off to streets occupied by dwelling houses. The Passamaquoddy Hotel was on fire, and it was feared the fire could not be staid. Fortunately there is no wind. Although the town was burned two years ago, still all the protection against fire they have got are two old-fashioned hand fire engines. The fire started in G. W. Capen's sardine factory, and swept with resistless fury through Water-street. At last accounts four sardine factories had been burned in addition to many stores and dwelling houses. The telegraph poles were burned, so that no dispatches have been received for some hours. Linemen and operators have been sent from Calais, 40 miles away, but it is feared the lines will not be repaired before morning. Following is a list of the packing houses there: Quoddy Packing Company, G. F. Raye & Co., Stimpson & Torrey, J. Henderson, Hailett Brothers, Daniel McCulloch, M. C. Holmes &Co., P. M. Kane, G. W. Capen, T. L. Holmes & Co., Eagle Preserved Fish Company, Charles Brewster, E. A. Holmes, H. Blanchard & Sons, T. D. Torrey, George W. Grady & Co., R. C. Green & Co., American Sardine Company.
The loss is estimated at $230,000, with partial insurance. Some 10 wharves and 50 buildings are probably burned. Julius Wolfe owned one of the factories. His insurance is $60,000.
The New York Times, New York, NY 15 Oct 1886
EASTPORT AFTER THE FIRE.
A RELIEF COMMITTEE ORGANIZED TO RELIEVE THE DESTITUTE.
EASTPORT, Me., Oct. 16.---Eastport is dreary looking place to-night. The view across the bay is not obstructed by a single building on Water-street from Key-street to Adams-street and the entire length of Sea-street. It is as yet impossible to give the separate losses and insurance. Several insurance agents from Portland and Boston are here making estimates, but they can give no figures yet. Gen. Leavitt, the largest local insurance agent, estimates the total loss to be over $800,000, but he can give nothing definite about the amount of insurance.
The several safes were opened to-day with a better result than was expected. The report that the insurance books and reports were destroyed was a mistake. All the savings banks, the Frontier Bank, and Post Office books, were found to be safe or nearly so, as was the insurance papers. The most serious part of the calamity is that a great number of families are homeless and destitute and out of employment. One hundred families, without homes, many of whom formerly were quite comfortable, are now living with friends. The suffering will increase as the weather gets colder. A relief committee has been organized and some aid has been received, but only sufficient to relieve temporary distress. The Mayor of Bangor sends $2,000; the Mayor of Calais $500; Frank Peavy, of Sioux City, $250; American National Bank, $100; E. T. Russell & Co., of Boston, $100; E. S. Buxton, E. H. Buckman, and Fulton Peavy, of Sioux City, $100. The sardine factories will be rebuilt, but not this Fall. They could not be built in time for the season's packing, which ends, by law, Dec. 15.
Thieves have been busy day and night since the fire, and some have reaped rich harvests. They went in gangs from store to store while the fire raged, broke open doors, carried out goods, and destroyed what they could not carry away. At night they went with teams to the fields where goods had been left for safety and plundered the unfortunate people. They were like tigers that had got a taste of blood, and the worst among them were those from the neighboring Canadian islands, who came in boats and loitered about like vultures over dead carcasses. Capt. Dean, of the revenue cutter Woodbury, to-day ordered these Canadian thieves to leave the harbor and not return except for legitimate purposes. To-night none are to be seen.
The New York Times, New York, NY 17 Oct 1886
Of course the town had just burned down some two decades previously.
Disastrous Fire at Eastport, Me.
A fire broke out at half past 1, Sunday morning, on Union wharf, Eastport, Me., and continued until 8, consuming all the business part of the town. About fifty places of business were destroyed, including the best stores. The building containing the Frontier bank and telegraph office, &c., was burned. Loss estimated at $500,000.
The Vermont Phoenix, Brattleboro, VT 28 Oct 1864
Alan
Very interesting read. Goes to show you, looting is no new thing! Thanks for posting.
Ah yes,the great fire of 47, but there is more too it then just drought and fire. 1947 was the one of the highest years for sheep production in Maine and many, many acres were being grazed by sheep. I have sheep myself and love them, but the wooly creatures can overgraze very easily, and with so many sheep, and incredibly dry year, the topography was acres upon acres of tinder-dry grazing land. This stretched far beyond just Bar Harbor too and encompassed a lot of the coastline and inland in the organized towns. In other words, where there were plenty of sheep.
They did not have a very good forest fire fighting equipment back then either, since the Forest Service considered Maine unburnable because of all the moisture we get (Foggiest place on the east coast). 1947 changed that.
Forest Fires in Maine are indeed pretty rare. I have seen a few here and the biggest was an acre in size. With modern fire fighting equipment in every town, heavy aircraft patrols during drought, lots of snow in the winter, lots of rain in the summer, and very few large scale sheep operations grazing, forest fires of any size are rare.
That being said, you do know that Maine is vastly different from Southern California though don't you? We might not get fires but we do get snow. 20 below and blowing 20 will make you wish you were on fire.
(AustinB...not giving you any grief, just adding some background info you might not have known about, that's all.)
Fighting that fire:
http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/images/1074535881750_1.jpg (broken link)
Flames as seen looking in through a window while the building is encased in ice:
http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/images/1074535583380_3.jpg (broken link)
Water mist from the firehose has frozen on a traffic light and it's weight is bending the lampost:
http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/images/1074536043164_7.jpg (broken link)
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