Raymond and Casco firefighters battled a blaze on a small Island //WOULD NOT BE CAPITALIZED// in Sebago lake //WOULD BE CAPITALIZED// Saturday. The Raymond fire department had stopped giving out burn permits around a week beforehand due to high fire danger. An unattended campfire caused the blaze, said Bruce Tupper, Raymond’s assistant fire chief. //THE LEDE IS TOO LONG AND SHOULD ACCENT THE IDEA THAT SUCH A FIRE HIGHLIGHTS THE CURRENT DANGERS OF THE SEASON – SOMETHING LIKE “A blaze that brought firefighters from Raymond and Casco to an island in Sebago Lake also highlights the danger residents and firefighters face from dry conditions.”//

//THEN FOLLOW WITH A NUT GRAPH DETAILING WHAT TUPPER SAID ABOUT THE FIRE AND WHO OWNS THE ISLAND

//THIS PORTION WOULD GO FURTHER DOWN – AFTER THE DETAILS OFTHE FIRE AND KERN’S QUOTES//The fire was one of 160 wildfires reported across the state so far this year, according to Kent Nelson, fire prevention specialist for the Maine Forest Service. “It’s been a typical season for us,” Nelson said, though he added that the number of fires is up from last year. The third week in April typically sees the most fires.

The acre-sized island was uninhabited, except for a loon’s nest which was destroyed by the fire. The owner, Lyn Kern of Long Island, N.Y. //AP STYLE, ALL STATES SAVE A SELECT FEW ARE ABBREVIATED IF PRECEDED BY A TOWN// grew up in Raymond and currently spends her summers at the end of Shaw Road. “My issue is the sanctity of my ancestral land,” Kern said. “It so upsets me to see my island on fire in front of my house.” She was able to watch the fire through a webcam set up on the shore of Sebago lake. She was worried that the sparks could fly the 500 feet to her house on the shore. Kern said that she had previously found fire rings and other signs of people trespassing on her island. She believes that individuals may have held a nighttime party with a campfire and neglected to thoroughly extinguish it.

Raymond fire fighters first struggled to find the fire, as they got calls placing it in several locations. When they found the blaze, it took them four //NUMERICS-SPELL OUT FROM ONE TO NINE// hours to put it out. They had to dig into the ground to extinguish the fire. “We usually don’t worry about fires burning into the ground,” Tupper said.

If the tops of the trees had caught on fire, the wind could have carried embers to the mainland, Tupper said. He added that it was unlikely that they would find out who was responsible.

The rain certainly helps lower the fire danger, but if it’s sunny the surface can become prime and ready to burn again within a day, Tupper said. Once everything greens up, though, the danger will drop considerably. Tupper advises citizens to check with their local fire departments before they burn brush piles and always make sure fires are thoroughly extinguished.

//THE MENTION AND QUOTES FROM NELSON WOULD GO HERE//

This year is different from past years because the thick snow pack insulated the ground from frost. Without a lot of frost, water filtered down into the ground early in the spring.

Tupper pointed out that the area didn’t experience much of a mud season for this same reason. These conditions led to high ground fire danger, as flames can follow roots and other organic material under the ground.

Nelson added that as people live more and more in forested areas, the likelihood of wildfire affecting their homes and other structures increases. To learn more about how to protect your home and prevent wildfire, visit www.maineforestservice.gov.

Lyn Kern is offering a reward for information leading to the names of those responsible for the fire.