PROSPECT — Firefighters from multiple Midcoast towns spent their second day working to fully extinguish the Prospect wildfire that began around 11:20 a.m. Oct. 20.

The fire, which is located between Moody Road and Half Moon Pond, was reported after a resident with a view of the impacted area spotted smoke.

Though the fire was contained no later than 5 p.m. Friday, roughly 45 firefighters remained on scene today, working to dig up and extinguish the many hotspots the fire left behind, according to Dale Rowley, planning section chief for the Waldo County Emergency Management team.

The team was set up on Moody Road both days.

The 10 - 18 acres impacted by the wildfire are uninhabited, and owned by the Searsport Water District, Rowley said.

Despite the large area, the fire itself wasn’t visible from Moody Road or the side of Half Moon Pond, though heavy smoke could be seen the first day, and light smoke the second. The fire is roughly one mile from the Moody Road post, and half a mile from the edge of Half Moon Pond, accessible only by boat.

The cause remains undetermined.

There were fire departments from over a dozen towns battling the fire the day it began, including: Belfast, Belmont, Montville, Monroe, Morrill, Northport, Searsport, Searsmont, Stockton Springs, Prospect, both Frankfort departments, Winterport, Liberty, and a single person from Waldo. Rowley said over 70 people were on scene at the height of the incident.

A helicopter from the Maine State Forest Service was also on scene for several hours.

“They did a bunch of water drops for the firefighters here,” Rowley said.

After getting the fire contained to a point they weren’t concerned about it spreading, firefighters and other volunteers were able to rest overnight, before some were back in action.

Working from the other side of Half Moon Pond both days were Chief Bill Gillespie, of the Liberty Fire Department, and Assistant Chief Herb Kronholm, of the Searsport Fire Department.

Gillespie was preparing to head across the pond in his boat around 1:30 p.m., complete with provisions for the men and women working in the forest.

In addition to other gear, there were 12 packs of Gatorade and a half dozen pizzas from a nearby shop. Gillespie, who was on his thirteenth run of the day, also brings workers back and forth.

Gillespie said that given the many hotspots that remain, he believes crews will be out again tomorrow.

Hotspots can reach deep into the ground and continue burning for days or more, with those on the Half Moon Pond side of the fire reaching roughly 1.5 feet deep. Assistant Chief Kronholm said that an accumulation of fallen pine needles and other detritus can create a mulch of sorts, which allows the fire to go deep into those areas.

Each hot spot must be dug out and wet down before fire crews can be sure there is no chance for the fire to reignite - something that can be caused by a single ember blown in the wrong direction.

Firefighters will continue to monitor the situation until it is deemed completely safe.

Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com