On Monday, August 11th, Phillips Fire was called to assist in two separate hiker emergencies during 90+ degree weather. The first incident occurred late in the morning when a hiker suffered an allergic reaction to a bee sting along Jont Stream, about one mile from Number Six Road. Crews located the patient, provided assistance, and escorted them safely to an awaiting ambulance.

Just two hours later, another emergency arose on the Appalachian Trail, where a through-hiker had sustained a serious leg and ankle fracture in rugged terrain between Saddleback Horn and Saddleback Jr. With the patient far from vehicular access, Phillips Fire coordinated with Kingfield Fire, Strong Fire, the Maine Warden Service, and ultimately the Maine Forest Service, which performed a short-haul helicopter extraction. Ground crews cleared a small opening in the canopy for the Forest Ranger flight crew to hoist the patient to safety and transfer them to an ambulance near the mountain base.

In total, Phillips Fire committed a crew of seven firefighters with Car 100, Attack 12, Rescue 13, and UTV 1, spending nearly 13 hours combined on these rescues. A special thanks goes to Rangeley Fire for providing emergency coverage to the Phillips area during these extended operations.