Augusta, Maine - Maine residents are urged to use caution while celebrating the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend and when doing any outdoor activity that can cause a spark or fire.
The Maine Forest Service (MFS) warns that it doesn’t take much to ignite a potentially devastating wildfire. MFS Forest Rangers will be aggressively enforcing Maine’s open burning and fireworks laws this weekend and into the summer season.
“Always check with local government, fire department or Maine Forest Service officials to make sure fires are allowed in your area, and be sure to comply with all restrictions,” MFS Chief Forest Ranger Bill Hamilton warned.
Hamilton offered the following Memorial Day safety tips:
· When barbecuing, never leave a grill unattended. Locate the grill away from your home and any combustible materials.
· Clear away grass, leaves and other debris within a 10-foot perimeter of any campfire.
· Ensure all campfires and barbecue coals are completely extinguished before leaving.
· Never use gasoline to start a campfire.
· Have water on hand just in case. If a fire does start, call 911 immediately.
· Remember you are responsible for any fire you start and any associated cost or damage that fire may cause.
Hamilton pointed out that Maine residents can use Maine Forest Service resources to make their home or camp survivable should a wildfire start.
For more information, go to: http://www.maine.gov/doc/mfs/fpd/pages/wui/wui.html
The MFS chief ranger also stressed that the Maine Legislature has banned all out-of-state firewood. This is part of an effort to stop the spread of invasive insects which can have devastating effects on Maine’s forests.
People carrying imported firewood will have their wood seized and may face a law enforcement action by MFS Forest Rangers. For more information on keeping insect pests out of Maine, go to: http://www.maine.gov/doc/mfs/InvasiveThreats.htm
For more information about the Maine Forest Service Forest Rangers, go to:
http://www.maine.gov/doc/mfs/ffchome.htm
For more information about the Maine Forest Service, go to: http://www.maineforestservice.gov
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