PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 19, 2021
As of Wednesday, the Maine Forest Service had responded to 379 wildfires that burned 257 acres this year. A tracking chart posted Wednesday by the Maine Forest Service attributed 153 of those fires – about 41 percent – to debris burns that property owners couldn’t keep under control. Another 22 were caused by unattended campfires and 50 were ignited by outdoor maintenance equipment such as logging gear and lawn care machinery. Seven fires were caused by lightning, and the chart said 75 were started by people, but didn’t specify how.