October 14, 2025 - On Tuesday morning, North Yarmouth Fire Rescue provided mutual aid to Falmouth Fire-EMS with Brush 57, Squad 54, and UTV 58 during a brush fire incident.

At approximately 8:11 a.m., Falmouth Engine 2 was dispatched to investigate a report of smoke near 309 U.S. Route 1. Upon arrival, crews observed a large column of smoke rising from the wooded area behind 360 U.S. Route 1. The Captain of Engine 2 immediately requested additional support from Falmouth Engine 4 and Utility 5 (UTV). Firefighters equipped themselves with tools, portable water cans, and backpack tanks before proceeding up a steep, 300-foot dirt access road leading to a cell tower.

Assistant Chief Colin Shea arrived shortly after and assumed command from the parking lot of 360 U.S. Route 1. The crew from Engine 2 reported discovering a 50-by-50-foot woods fire that had burned deep into the ground approximately 250 feet from the top of the access road, near ledges overlooking I-295. Access to the site was challenging due to uneven and difficult terrain. In response, Command requested additional support from Falmouth Engine 1, staffed by call company members, as well as the North Yarmouth Fire Department’s brush truck and UTV.

As Falmouth Utility 5 and Engine 4 arrived, Utility 5 began transporting personnel and equipment up the access road, while Engine 4’s crew assisted in extending a hose line to reach the firefighters from Engine 2. Crews used hand tools and backpack pumps to contain the flames while the hose line was established.

Assistant Chief Jay Hallett arrived on scene and was assigned as Operations Officer at the top of the access road to manage the complex fireground operations due to the distance from the command post. Once the hose line was in place, crews pumped water from Route 1 up to the North Yarmouth brush truck stationed near the top of the access road and into the wooded area to fully extinguish the fire.

The fire was contained and knocked down by approximately 9:30 a.m., with crews spending an additional 30 minutes extinguishing hot spots and overhauling the area. The Maine Forest Service later located the remnants of a small campfire believed to have caused the blaze.

All three Falmouth Fire-EMS engines and Utility 5 responded to the scene, along with North Yarmouth’s brush truck and off-road UTV. Falmouth Ambulance 2 initially staged nearby but was later redirected to a separate medical emergency on the west side of town. During the incident, an engine from Westbrook covered the West Falmouth station, and an engine from Cumberland covered Falmouth Central Station.

No injuries were reported, and all units cleared the scene at 10:06 a.m.