Wildfires of 1947 Forever Changed the Lakes Regions of Maine
May 19th, 2011 categories: Sebago Lakes Region
Everything sparkles on Little Ossipee Lake in Waterboro
Around the Sebago Lakes Region of Maine, a discerning eye can detect evidence of the catastrophic wildfires of 1947. Pine trees growing en masse and homes or public buildings lacking historical significance are ready indicators of that week in late October of ’47 known as “The Week Maine Burned.”
It hadn’t rained for 108 days and the dry woods were like tinder. Ground fires erupted in communities, including Fryeburg’s Oak Hill section. Crews from Fryeburg, Brownfield and Denmark thought they had the fire under control, but overnight a strong wind blew and brought it back to life. About 2,000 acres burned by the next night and the fire spread to the edge of Brownfield.
As the wind kept shifting, folks in all three towns began to panic. Farmers turned their livestock loose or herded them to farms in neighboring towns. People packed as many belongings as they could and evacuated the area.
By morning, most homes and public buildings in Brownfield Center were mere piles of ash. Stately places including The Sundial House, the Stickney Mansion, and the Farnsworth Place where Dr. Philo Farnsworth, a pioneer in the field of television, spent his summers, had burned. Churches, schools, the post office, Grange hall, library and town hall had all gone up in smoke. Only 20 houses survived.
From Brownfield the fire raced on to Hiram, Cornish and Limerick. All told, about 20,000 acres burned in this area.
Meanwhile in the York County/Sanford Lakes Region of Maine, the towns of Shapleigh, Waterboro and Lyman were extremely hard hit by a series of forest fires that week. Fires also erupted in Alfred, Newfield, Kennebunk, Dayton, Wells, Biddeford and Saco.
All in all, over 200,000 acres burned in southern and coastal Maine.
According to the Waterboro Town Web site, “Austin H. Wilkins, Maine’s supervisor of forest fire control at that time, gave this graphic description of the happenings:
‘It was (an) awesome sight to see the solid walls of roaring fire sweeping over the [Ossipee] mountain and across level areas, consuming everything in their path. The smoke hung so thick and heavy for days over the area that it was difficult at times to determine just how near or how far away the fires were. The sun did not penetrate through the thick wall of smoke for over 10 days. Men using trucks, cars, and bulldozers had to use their headlights as much in the daytime as at night.’ The sound of the rushing fires, sometimes on fronts several miles long, was described as a continuous frightening roar.”
Many local historical societies have documents and photographs of that infamous week. Wildfire Loose: The Week Maine Burned, written by Joyce Butler and published by Down East Books, provides an historically accurate account of the natural disaster.
As you explore lakefront properties in the Lakes Regions of Maine, stop by the local historical societies for more information or pick up a copy of Ms. Butler’s book.
Tom - MrLakefront
