A historically large wildfire has expanded to almost 1,000 acres in a remote part of the White Mountain National Forest.
U.S. Forest Service spokesperson Jessie Dubuque said the Wild River Fire was spotted four days ago and spread quickly through steep and rugged terrain.
“For a fire of this size on the White Mountain National Forest, it’s very uncommon. It is the largest since the forest was incorporated,” Dubuque said in an interview.
Dubuque said more than 50 forest service personnel, two helicopters and a drone are currently at work suppressing the blaze, which is about 11% contained.
The fire is about a mile into the national forest just west of the Maine-New Hampshire border and south of U.S. Route 2.
Firefighters have been challenged by local conditions including a forest service road heavily damaged three years ago that impeded access to the area.
“It’s inaccessible in a lot of ways. Firefighters are having to cross the Wild River on foot to access the fire, so, that speaks to its remote nature,” Dubuque said.
Drought conditions in the area have left dried leaf litter, deadfall wood and combustible spruce and fir to fuel the fire, Dubuque added.
The forest service is investigating what started the fire but it is currently believed to be human-caused, Dubuque said. The forest service said there is no significant threat to private property or physical safety.
“As of right now, we don’t smell any smoke this morning,” Gorham Fire Chief Philip Cloutier said early Wednesday. “Yesterday, it was hazy in Gorham and you could smell the wildfire.”
Cloutier said there are no known residential properties in the area. His local department has not been asked to assist in the response, which is being managed by the federal government.
The Forest Service instructs drivers who encounter smoke to slow down and turn on their headlights, and asks people to avoid flying personal drones near the fire.
Cloutier said while small blazes occasionally break out in the White Mountains, a wildfire of this size is rare.
“That’s very uncommon in our area,” he said. “The largest wildfire that we can remember was just under 100 acres, and that was over 20 years ago.”
Editor's note: This story was first published Nov. 2, and will continue to be updated as more information is made available.
