Moosehorn NWR's D7H Dozer used in wildfire suppression; Maurice Mills, Jr., September 21, 2007, Moosehorn NWR HQ

On  the afternoon of September 10 the Maine Forest Service contacted staff at the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge to request assistance controlling a wildfire in Dyer Township, near Lambert Lake, Maine.  The fire was located in a remote area with no good access.  A large bulldozer was needed to clear an old logging road so fire suppression equipment could reach the fire.

Engineering Equipment Operator Bill Jones and Forestry Technician Brandon Harriman assisted the State by transporting the refuge's D7H dozer to the fire location.  Once they arrived Bill Jones began clearing two miles of an abandoned logging road to provide access to the fire.

The fire was approximately one acre in size and was burning in a 15-20 year old stand of mixed hardwood and softwood trees.  It was the result of a lightning strike that occurred several days prior to the discovery of the fire.

Once the access road was completed a dozed line was also constructed around the perimeter of the fire to prevent further spread. 

All national wildlife refuges in Maine are part of a cooperative agreement with the Maine Forest Service for both wildfire suppression and prescribed burning.  Moosehorn NWR staff have an excellent working relationship with the Maine Forest Service.