SEARSMONT — Grueling work to extinguish a woods fire in Searsmont late last week and over the weekend was stymied by persistent dry, warm, windy weather, but as of Monday the fire had been deemed "98 percent" contained.

The total number of acres burned remained at 46, even after the fire - which began late Thursday afternoon, May 7 - flared up again in earnest Saturday afternoon and necessitated a request for help from another forestry helicopter to dump water from above.

It was a return to the scene, as a pair of Maine Forest Service helicopters helped battle the fire at the outset Thursday evening, using 240-gallon buckets to drop water from the sky.

"Saturday morning, approximately 43 people showed up to help us put out hot spots, and Sunday morning we had less than 20 people, but the cooler weather early in the morning Sunday allowed us to take the thermal imaging camera in and we came up with 10 real good hot spots so we pulled hose and worked those areas," said Searsmont Fire Department 2nd Lt. Tracy Harford.

Harford was in the thick of the battle Thursday around 4:45 p.m. when the fire was called in. They located the blaze at the end of Jackson Road, a dirt logging road off Choate Road, between Woodmans Mill Road (Route 173) and Route 3.

"This is where we started fighting the fire yesterday, and the flames were jumping from tree to tree. I had a couple of guys back behind some trees and I was keeping an eye on them, and at one point I had to move them out for their safety," said Harford Friday at the scene.

A survey of the scene late Friday morning showed a wide circle of blackened ground and soot, with signs of fire on the trunks of many trees, stretching up 20-feet high in some places. The density of the softwood stands kicked up plumes of thick, black smoke Thursday as the trees erupted in fire, one after another. It wasn't hard to imagine that scene, looking at the aftermath Friday.

Fire Prevention Specialist Kent Nelson of the Maine Forest Service Friday afternoon said that the fire was extremely hot, and it was able to burrow down deep.

"The fire got down into the duff, which is the organic layer composed of decaying leaves and small needles and we don't usually see that in the spring," said Nelson. "Instead, we are used to grass fires, which burn fast and go out right away, but the dry ground and the fact that this area has probably not had a fire in a long time all can be factors. The ranger said it was also tough going because of the density of the area."

Because of its location, it has been dubbed the Jackson Road Fire. Firefighters from the towns of Liberty, Montville and Morrill assisted Searsmont firefighters in fighting the fire Thursday into the evening hours. Ranger Dan Skillin of the Maine Forest Service was also called to the scene, and he worked with Searsmont Fire Chief James Ames as incident commanders. Also on hand to assist with communications, among other things, were members of the state Emergency Management Agency offices in Knox and Waldo counties.

Harford said that when news of the expanding woods fire spread around the Midcoast, contractors delivered heavy equipment to the scene.

"When we called for the helicopter Thursday, we had four different contractors – Lucas Construction, Fuller Construction, Richards Construction and Dave's World – drop off either bulldozers or excavators to help us," said Harford. "We were able to use one to pull out the firefighting vehicles at the far end of the fire, but we never really got to use them to cut the fire line due to the soft, swampy ground."

The worst of the fire and flames were quelled Thursday, and the next three days were spent chasing hot spots and flare-ups.

A call went out for volunteer first responders, and nearly 60 showed up for their assignments at 6 a.m. Friday, May 8. Using hand tools, forestry hose and Indian tanks that hold 5-gallons of water and are carried on a firefighter's back; they dug, stomped and watered down every smoky hot spot they could find. Work Friday continued until 8 p.m.

The call went out for another round of volunteers Saturday, and Harford said 43 showed up. The group worked from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and while they had some stump hotspots inside the burn area flare up, there was no expansion of the burn area outside the fire perimeter.

Harford said Sunday morning saw less than 20 volunteers, so they split the crew in half, went to opposite sides and walked the outside perimeter with the thermal imaging cameras.

"We came up with about 10 good spots, it worked really well to go in with the cameras while it was still cool out," said Harford.

Sunday's shift was from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., said Harford. By the time they had the trucks cleaned and equipment put away, he said they cleared the fire station around 6 p.m.

"The hot shot team from Maine State Prison took all our forestry hose with them and they will clean it and repack it for us in the duffel bags we use to carry it into the woods," said Harford. "It's a big help."

The day that the fire started was the fourth "red flag" day in Maine, which the Maine Forest Service also designated a Class 4 "Very High" predicted fire danger day. On Friday, the "red flag" warning had been dropped, but the Class 4 remained in effect.

Cooler temperatures over the weekend, and rain in the forecast, have allowed for a lower Class 2 predicted fire danger Monday for Zone 1, which includes all of Knox and Waldo counties, among other coastal areas of the lower half of the state. But until the ground greens up more and there is significant moisture in the air and on the ground, everybody should use caution with open fires and always check in with their local fire department and/or obtain a permit before commencing to burn brush and other yard debris.

The cause of the Jackson Road Fire remains under investigation.

Related stories:

• Searsmont woods fire 55-percent contained, with 46 acres burned so far (posted May 8, 2015)

• Large woods fire fought on the ground, in the air in Searsmont Thursday (posted May 7, 2015)

Reach Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards at hollyedwards@penbaypilot.com and 706-6655