Firefighters battle Norway brush fire; homeowner charged

Photo: Tony Reaves, Sun Media Wire

EXTINGUISHED — A Paris firefighter helps extinguish a one-acre brush fire on April 19 in Norway. Eight fire departments responded to a home at 22 Ayer Drive where the owner was burning household trash outside.

Photo: Tony Reaves, Sun Media Wire

BURNING TRASH — Norway firefighters extinguish burning brush on April 19 at 22 Ayer Road. About a dozen trucks from area fire departments and agencies responded to the fire, which spread across the yard and through the woods. It started when a homeowner was burning household trash.

NORWAY — Dozens of firefighters from eight towns worked to control an acre-wide brush fire sparked by a homeowner burning household trash Thursday.

Michael Ivery of 22 Ayer Drive was issued a court summons on a charge of burning prohibited materials, Maine Forest Ranger Art Lavoie said. Ivery was burning household trash, including paper and plastic, which caught nearby brush, he said.

Ayer Drive is a remote road near the Waterford town line, accessible via Route 118 to Wiley Road, Holt Road and McKay Road.

Norway fire Chief Dennis Yates said firefighters spent about an hour putting down the fire, which burned a little more than an acre of brush, leaves and trees. The call came in about 1:45 p.m. Thursday. By 3 p.m., firefighters were soaking the smoldering ground and looking for hot spots.

Yates said a Norway firefighter suffered heat exhaustion early as the Norway team rushed to stop the fire's spread. A Paris firefighter injured his thumb, he said.

Norway firefighters were assisted by others from Paris, West Paris, Oxford, Waterford, Greenwood, Otisfield and Hebron. Maine Forest Rangers were also on the scene. Responders filled tanker trucks in nearly Little Pennesseewassee Pond.

Lavoie said he's been at fires nine of the past 10 days.

Fire danger was at Level 4, or high, on Thursday and the Norway Fire Department had instructed residents not to burn anything all week.

Yates said that until it rains this weekend, people should be very careful. “Just one spark can start a fire,” he said.