Great Fires of 1947
Encyclopedia
The Great Fires of 1947 were a series of forest fires in the State of Maine
in the United States
that destroyed a total area of 175,000 acres (780 km²) of wooded land. This disaster is an important part of the local history of the York County
and Mount Desert Island
areas.
condition in mid July 1947. By the end of September, the ground was extremely dry. State and local officials, recognizing the dangers of the dry conditions, began implementing preventative measures such as informing the public to have their chimney
s cleaned. By the second week of October, the state was in a Class 4 state of danger, meaning: "high state of inflammability." Fire watch towers, normally closed at the end of September, were reopened by the State Forest Service. By October 19, many communities in Maine breathed air filled with a smokey haze and the smell of burning wood.
Reports of small fires in woods began coming in to the Forest Service on October 7. These early fires burned in Portland
, Bowdoin
and Wells
. Being 30 miles apart from each other, these three fires illustrated the danger. After this, reports of fires poured in, and by October 16, 20 separate fires were burning in the state.
and Waterboro
, destroying both communities, including,with only a few exceptions,most homes. The fires swept through the forests, and moved with the wind toward the ocean
. In addition to Waterboro and Shapleigh, the towns of Alfred
, Lyman
, Newfield
, Kennebunk
, Kennebunkport
, North Kennebunkport
(now Arundel), Dayton
, Wells, and the cities of Biddeford and Saco
were devastated by fire. With the exception of Shapleigh and Waterboro, most town centers were saved through the tireless work of firefighter
s, most notably Goodwins Mills in the eastern corner of Lyman, where due in part to a change in wind direction, only the center was saved, and all of the acreage around it burned to the ground.
s were brought in to clear the debris and standing chimneys where homes once stood. It took a decade for many to fully recover their losses.
In the late 1980s, to commemorate the Great Fires of 1947, the State of Maine developed signs for each community where the fires burned, detailing the effect the fires had on those communities. Signs still stand today in many communities, including Shapleigh at the Ross Corner Fire Department on Ross Corner Road and North Kennebunkport (Arundel) at the Central Fire Station and Town Hall on Limerick Road.
Many people fought to save their homes. In a book published in 1979, Joyce Butler wrote about the Great Fires of 1947 in Wildfire Loose: The Week Maine Burned:
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that destroyed a total area of 175,000 acres (780 km²) of wooded land. This disaster is an important part of the local history of the York County
York County, Maine
York County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. In 2010, the population was 197,131. Its county seat is Alfred.Founded in 1636, it is the oldest county in Maine and one of the oldest in the United States....
and Mount Desert Island
Mount Desert Island
Mount Desert Island , in Hancock County, Maine, is the largest island off the coast of Maine. With an area of it is the 6th largest island in the contiguous United States. Though it is often claimed to be the third largest island on the eastern seaboard of the United States, it is actually second...
areas.
The fires
After a wet spring, in which the months of April, May and June were inundated with rainy weather, the climate turned to droughtDrought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
condition in mid July 1947. By the end of September, the ground was extremely dry. State and local officials, recognizing the dangers of the dry conditions, began implementing preventative measures such as informing the public to have their chimney
Chimney
A chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...
s cleaned. By the second week of October, the state was in a Class 4 state of danger, meaning: "high state of inflammability." Fire watch towers, normally closed at the end of September, were reopened by the State Forest Service. By October 19, many communities in Maine breathed air filled with a smokey haze and the smell of burning wood.
Reports of small fires in woods began coming in to the Forest Service on October 7. These early fires burned in Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, Bowdoin
Bowdoin, Maine
Bowdoin is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,727 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.-History:...
and Wells
Wells, Maine
Wells is a town in York County, Maine, United States. Founded in 1643, it is the third-oldest town in Maine. The population was 9,400 at the 2000 census. Wells Beach is a popular summer destination.-History:...
. Being 30 miles apart from each other, these three fires illustrated the danger. After this, reports of fires poured in, and by October 16, 20 separate fires were burning in the state.
York County
Hardest hit was northern York County, the southern-most county in the state. Fires began in the towns of ShapleighShapleigh, Maine
Shapleigh, pronounced "SHAP-lee", is a town in York County, Maine, United States which was incorporated as the state's 43rd town in 1785. The population was 2,326 at the 2000 census. Shapleigh is divided into the villages of North Shapleigh, Shapleigh Corner, Ross Corner and Emery Mills...
and Waterboro
Waterboro, Maine
Waterboro is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 6,214 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area....
, destroying both communities, including,with only a few exceptions,most homes. The fires swept through the forests, and moved with the wind toward the ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. In addition to Waterboro and Shapleigh, the towns of Alfred
Alfred, Maine
Alfred is a town in York County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 2,497. Alfred is the county seat of York County and home to part of the Massabesic Experimental Forest...
, Lyman
Lyman, Maine
Lyman is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,795 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area...
, Newfield
Newfield, Maine
Newfield is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,328 at the 2000 census. Home to Willowbrook Museum Village, Newfield is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford metropolitan statistical area.-History:...
, Kennebunk
Kennebunk, Maine
Kennebunk is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,075 people at the 2000 census. Including Kennebunkport , the population totals 14,196 people...
, Kennebunkport
Kennebunkport, Maine
Kennebunkport is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,720 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford metropolitan statistical area....
, North Kennebunkport
Arundel, Maine
Arundel is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,571 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
(now Arundel), Dayton
Dayton, Maine
Dayton is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,805 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. Dayton is one of the smallest towns in York County....
, Wells, and the cities of Biddeford and Saco
Saco, Maine
Saco is a city in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 18,482 at the 2010 census. It is home to Ferry Beach State Park, Funtown Splashtown USA, Thornton Academy, as well as General Dynamics Armament Systems , a subsidiary of the defense contractor General Dynamics...
were devastated by fire. With the exception of Shapleigh and Waterboro, most town centers were saved through the tireless work of firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
s, most notably Goodwins Mills in the eastern corner of Lyman, where due in part to a change in wind direction, only the center was saved, and all of the acreage around it burned to the ground.
Restoration
After the fire, bulldozerBulldozer
A bulldozer is a crawler equipped with a substantial metal plate used to push large quantities of soil, sand, rubble, etc., during construction work and typically equipped at the rear with a claw-like device to loosen densely-compacted materials.Bulldozers can be found on a wide range of sites,...
s were brought in to clear the debris and standing chimneys where homes once stood. It took a decade for many to fully recover their losses.
Modern evidence of the Great Fires
Even today evidence exists of the Great Fires that swept through York County. In Waterboro, Shapleigh and Lyman, where the devastation was great, forests of small, undesirable pine trees grow en masse where great forests stood before the fires. One would notice on visits to these communities that homes within them lack in historical significance, the oldest homes of which were built in the late 1940s. Most historic farms and homes built before 1947 in these communities were destroyed.In the late 1980s, to commemorate the Great Fires of 1947, the State of Maine developed signs for each community where the fires burned, detailing the effect the fires had on those communities. Signs still stand today in many communities, including Shapleigh at the Ross Corner Fire Department on Ross Corner Road and North Kennebunkport (Arundel) at the Central Fire Station and Town Hall on Limerick Road.
Many people fought to save their homes. In a book published in 1979, Joyce Butler wrote about the Great Fires of 1947 in Wildfire Loose: The Week Maine Burned:
Juanita and Franklin Spofford lived on the Granite Point Road across Horseshoe Cove from Fortunes Rocks. The Spoffords wet down their house with a garden hose until the pressure failed. Then they filled buckets and tubs and set them around the house. As burning debris carried by the wind fell in the grass, setting it afire, they wet brooms in the buckets and beat the flames out. Bushes beside the garage caught fire. The house across the street and others on Granite Point Road burned, but the Spoffords' did not.