BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 6, 2021
Last year, Maine experienced the most wildfires in the past 35 years, a 300 percent increase over the number of wildfires recorded in 2019. Already this year, the Maine Forest Rangers have tracked more than 450 wildfire events. Considering the limited snow cover and continued dry weather patterns, Maine may be looking at another record-breaking year for wildfires. During the same period, the movement of local fire departments getting smaller or closing and firefighting resources diminishing continued. Doing more with less staff and less equipment is a tall order, and it looks like there is no end in sight for this concerning trend. The governor’s budget for updating the aircraft will be received by the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee and then voted on in the House and Senate. Please contact your legislators and urge them to vote yes on this important initiative.