BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 3, 2021
Maine’s prolonged drought, now more than 16 months long and impacting the whole state, has exacerbated the threat of wildfires by creating an earlier and longer wildfire season. Maine‘s current cycle of statewide drought began in 2020. Since then, there have been more wildfires throughout the forests of the state. According to Jon Blackstone, a district forest ranger for the Maine Forest Service based in Greenville, “We probably average 500 to 600 wildfires a year, but last year, we did 1,350. This year we’re already at 534, and we’re just coming into our lightning season.”