Brownfield: The Forest Fires of 1947

In 1947, Maine suffered its largest forest fire disaster in modern history after more than 90 consecutive days of record-breaking high temperatures and drought. By mid-October, many small wildfires started and spread out of control. Across the state, the fires burned more than 220,000 acres, destroyed 1,000 homes, left 2,500 people homeless, killed 16 people, and caused more than 11 million dollars in damage at the time. Over the last 70 years, firefighting equipment, communication, training, and fire prevention efforts have improved considerably, but humans still cause more than 90 percent of wildfires in Maine.

Brownfield, Maine · United States