EASTON, Maine — Approximately $20,000 worth of raw cedar material and waste wood was lost to fire at an Amish-owned sawmill in Easton Monday, according to Easton Fire Chief Greg White.
The fire, which started shortly after 4 p.m., was thought to be accidentally caused by a smoldering sawdust pile leftover from work at the mill, White said. Embers from the pile may have been carried by the wind and landed in the raw cedar tree material.
“Personnel and water were the big problems with wind driving the danger,” White said.
The wind was blowing at around 40 miles per hour and made the conditions dangerous for the surrounding area, but the fire was contained by 6:30 p.m. and extinguished by 10 p.m.
The sawmill makes cedar products.
The Easton Fire Department used more than 100,000 gallons of water to stop the fire at 308 Fuller Road. Maine Forest Service kept an eye on the embers afterward.
Other fire departments called in to the scene were Bridgewater, Mars Hill, Mapleton, Presque Isle, Fort Fairfield, Limestone and the Maine Forest Service due to the amount of water needed. There was no well or other water source on the property.
The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Service is also investigating the cause of the fire, according to White.
No buildings were structurally damaged.
