Dear Editor:

This past weekend the Boothbay Fire Department, with support from departments in many of the surrounding communities, conducted a controlled training burn on my property. In theory, this is an opportunity for Chief Dick Spofford and his team to practice firefighting techniques and to observe fire behavior in order to improve future response efforts. In practice, at least for me, it was an opportunity to watch an operation carried out with a level of skill, coordination and teamwork that I haven’t seen in a long time.

Witnessed up close, the power of a structure fire is fearsome. My respect is now even greater for the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way to make sure the rest of us are safe. I had the chance to meet and thank personally some of you on Saturday but to those I didn’t, please accept my sincere gratitude and appreciation. I’d also like to thank Todd Hyson and Dale Hahn for their expert excavator work before, during and after the burn.

As we enjoy this holiday season, please be extra careful with lights, candles, Christmas trees and other fire dangers. Our firefighters will be there in a heartbeat when the call comes in but I’m sure they would much prefer that there was no need for a call at all.

Donald Earle

Boothbay