Freeport blaze triggers response by Wiscasset area fire departments
Minding the Wiscasset Fire Department’s station July 25 while Wiscasset covers Woolwich’s station are, from left, Newcastle Fire Chief Clayton Huntley, Newcastle Second Assistant Fire Chief Randy Butterfield and Newcastle firefighter Jim Kaler. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
An Alna fire truck stands by near Route 1, at Wiscasset’s fire station July 25. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Minding the Wiscasset Fire Department’s station July 25 while Wiscasset covers Woolwich’s station are, from left, Newcastle Fire Chief Clayton Huntley, Newcastle Second Assistant Fire Chief Randy Butterfield and Newcastle firefighter Jim Kaler. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
An Alna fire truck stands by near Route 1, at Wiscasset’s fire station July 25. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Several area fire departments were at one another’s fire stations Friday afternoon, July 25, as a structure fire in Freeport set off the domino effect known as mutual aid.
Helping man Wiscasset’s station while Wiscasset covered Woolwich’s, Assistant Alna Fire Chief Roger Whitney said he could not recall another time when a fire that far south affected departments in and around Wiscasset.
Whitney and Newcastle Assistant Fire Chief Mike Santos said Friday’s high temperatures might explain the need for so much backup on the Freeport fire. On a hot day, a firefighter may be able to work on a fire for 10 minutes, then need 50 minutes to recover, Whitney said.
Without mutual aid, a fire department that’s away helping another one could have a fire in its own town and no one to respond, Whitney said. “And that’s unacceptable ...,” he said.
Crews began responding to one another’s stations shortly before 3 p.m. Friday and were heading back to their respective towns shortly after 4 p.m.
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