At approximately 5:04 p.m. on June 8, Lincoln County Emergency Communications received a 911call for an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) fire located deep in the woods behind the Ocean View Cemetery and Country Club Road. Two people had been riding on the ATV on a private, remote trail when the ATV unexpectedly caught fire.

Eleven Boothbay firefighters responded to the incident with Engine 2, Utility 2 and the departments off road ATV. Because the fire was located approximately 1,500 feet from the cemetery and down a heavily wooded, rock and log strewn trail, standard fire apparatus could not reach the scene. Crews utilized the department's specialized Ranger ATV, which is equipped to carry 300 gallons of water to navigate the challenging terrain and access the blaze.

Engine 2 was positioned at the cemetery and established a reliable water supply. Firefighters then manually dragged 900 feet of hose line deep into the woods to supply the Ranger with additional water. Using the Ranger’s pumping capabilities, crews successfully extinguished the fully involved ATV and soaked the surrounding area, putting over 500 gallons of water on the fire and preventing it from spreading into the surrounding woods.

"The driver of the ATV, upon seeing the flames, called 911, which allowed our crews to quickly mobilize an attack and extinguish the blaze deep in the woods," noted Tim Pinkham, chief of Boothbay Fire and Rescue. "This could have been a much more serious forest fire, but we were aided by our specialized wildland firefighting equipment, allowing us to access very difficult terrain to attack this blaze. Our crews on scene worked very hard to deploy the required hose and fire suppression equipment in very challenging conditions.

Following the suppression efforts, the Ranger proved instrumental once again, as crews used it to safely drag the destroyed ATV out of the woods and clear the trail.

The Ranger ATV, which proved so vital during this response, was generously donated to the department by Paul Coulombe several years ago. Since its addition, the vehicle has become a critical asset to the Boothbay Fire fleet. In addition to fighting remote forest fires, the Ranger is engineered to access extremely difficult terrain and can safely transport an injured patient out of the woods using a mounted Stokes stretcher.

Boothbay Fire crews returned to Center Station to refill Engine 2 with water, repack the truck with 900 feet of hose and check and replenish key safety equipment

Chief Pinkham and the Boothbay Fire Department remind the public that in the event of an emergency, immediately calling 911 is the most critical step to ensuring a rapid and effective response.