“The Maine Forest Service put out a red flag warning on Sunday,” said Caribou Fire Captain Brian Lajoie. “This means there should be no outdoor burning, and that won’t change until we get a significant amount of rain and things start getting a little greener.”
Lajoie adds that the low humidity and extreme dryness are creating an environment where a small fire could quickly spread.
“People need a permit in order to burn and they are responsible if a fire gets out of hand,” said Lajoie. “It can cost them or their neighbor, and in these conditions it can get out of hand very easily.”
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the southern part of Maine as well as the coastal zones on Monday, April 25.
“There is no red flag for Caribou at this point,” said Tony Mignone of the NWS. “Conditions are dry, but it’s not as serious as a red flag. The cloud cover and temperatures aren’t quite as warm enough to warrant a red flag, even though the humidity is low.”
Mignone added that the people of Caribou should be cautious if they decide to do any outdoor burning, since the fire danger is still high for the region.
