They rarely burn more than a few acres. However, with more and more people living in rural wooded areas, the risk of property loss and injuries or deaths has increased. Whenever the Northeast has extremely dry conditions, there is the potential for devastating fires. In 1947, fires ripped through southern Maine and left thousands of acres charred and dozens of people homeless. Every home in a forested setting is potentially at risk from wildfire.
Homeowners can take action to help protect their property from a catastrophic wildfire.
The first strategy is to deprive a fire of what it needs most-fuel. The second is to be certain firefighters can reach the scene of a fire. To deprive a possible fire of its fuel, property owners should make sure there are no trees within 20 feet of any building. No part of a tree should come in contact with or overhang a building. If the tree catches fire, it could transfer flames to the building.