Gusts damage property, start brush fires

15 years ago
By Kathy McCarty  
Staff Writer

    PRESQUE ISLE — Emergency personnel responded to a number of calls around the area during Thursday’s wind storm, as gusts up to 50 mph blew down trees and damaged property.
    Structural damage included reports of metal roofing and siding being stripped away, shingles blown off, with the most serious incident occurring on the Egypt Rd. where a barn collapsed during the wind storm.    

    Firefighters and Maine Public Service crews responded to several calls of power lines being struck by downed trees, causing sparks to ignite dried grass and debris below.
    The most serious incident was reported in Castle Hill, along Route 163 west of Haystack, where a tree fell on a power line in the afternoon. Sparks initially caught the grass below the pole to ignite. Before the fire could be put out, the wind carried sparks across the road, igniting a second fire. Firefighters from the Mapleton and Presque Isle fire departments, members of the Maine Forest Service and Maine Public Service responded to the scene.
    Damage was also reported at an Ashland gas station, as well as a Washburn repair shop.
    Traffic along Route 163 — already delayed by road construction to the east — was further delayed as firefighters stretched hoses across the road to reach hot spots. No injuries were reported as a result of the fire. The road closure lasted approximately 20 minutes.
    The Presque Isle Fire Department responded to a similar incident along Route 164 that afternoon. MPS was contacted and repaired the line that had been damaged by wind-blown debris.
    Washburn firefighters had to block off Main St. in Washburn around suppertime when a tree blew down, striking a power line. To ensure motorists’ safety, traffic was re-routed until the problem could be fixed.
    No injuries were reported as a result of the high winds. Property damage varied, from minor damage from the wind and falling debris to the total destruction of a barn.

 

ImageStaff photo/Kathy McCarty
    ROUTE 163 IN CASTLE HILL, west of Haystack, was closed for a short period Thursday afternoon as firefighters with the Mapleton and Presque Isle fire departments, members of the Maine Forest Service and a crew from Maine Public Service worked to put out a fire that started when a tree blew down, striking a power line, which in turn sparked, causing grass below to catch on fire. High winds made fighting the fire difficult, as sparks were carried across the road, setting a second blaze. Crews were on scene for over an hour. 

 

 

Staff photo/Kathy McCartyImage
    HIGH WINDS DESTROYED this barn on the Egypt Rd. Thursday. No injuries were reported but property, including a couple vehicles, stored inside the structure was damaged as the result of the structure’s collapse. Here, a crew worked over the weekend to begin the cleanup process.