What does Old Orchard Beach have in common with Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia and over 400 other communities across the country? We read! Through reading initiatives commonly called “One City, One Book,” people from cities all around this nation have come together to read and share the same book. Now Old Orchard Beach is preparing to kick off its own neighborhood read, One Beach, One Book.

The One Beach, One Book committee has chosen the book, “Wildfire Loose: The Week Maine Burned, ‘ as the first community read. This book was chosen in commemoration of Maine’s Bicentennial in an effort to enhance both literacy and historical knowledge throughout the town of Old Orchard Beach.

The project will commence on March 3, at 5 p.m. in the Community Room at the Libby Library with a presentation by the Old Orchard Beach Fire Department. Free copies of the book will be available at this meeting and at various local businesses throughout town.

Though it reads like a novel, “Wildfire Loose” is a nonfiction book that recounts the devastating wildfires that swept through Maine in October of 1947. If you never heard about the fires, you’re not alone.

Now is your chance to learn about this tragic event and to discuss it with your friends and neighbors. You might be surprised to learn that several people have vivid memories of that week in 1947, having lived through this terrible event and the race to escape the wandering flames.

In her book, Joyce Butler wrote the following about emergency evacuations at the time of the wildfires, “Firemen from Kennebunkport who knew the area well,
men like Chief Lawrence Ireland of the Goose Rocks Beach Department and Arthur Welsh from Cape Porpoise, drove frantically up and down the back roads, checking to see that every family knew the fire was coming, warning them to get away while they could.”

Although “Wildfire Loose” is about the response to the fires of 1947, the topic still resonates today. While reading the book, one might wonder, “What would the residents of Old Orchard Beach do in an emergency evacuation today? How would people be informed? Is there a plan in place for a systematic response to emergencies? The answer is: YES! Thanks to the adoption of the emergency alert system called RAVE, residents of Old Orchard Beach may sign up to receive alerts and valuable information in the event of an emergency.

There are two ways for residents to register for the RAVE Alert System. Those with computer access may do so by going to the York County website http://www.yorkcountymaine.gov and clicking on “RAVE alert signup.” The link is clearly written and user friendly. Those who do not have personal access to technology may sign up for RAVE at the Adult Circulation Section of the Libby Library. Staff members will be available to assist you and to answer questions.

Word of mouth, church bells, and fire whistles were used in 1947 to alert the public. Today we use more sophisticated means of communication. For more information about One Beach, One Book or the RAVE Alert System, go to ooblibrary.org.