California PG&E has finally decided to bury 10,000 miles of power lines to prevent further fires. The current fire caused by power lines has exceeded 100,000 acres. The Baxter State Park fire in 1977 consumed 3500 acres and cost almost a million 1977 dollars to put out, (about 4.5 million today).
CMP in order to get awarded the contract cheaply for Massachusetts, decided that burying power lines across the largest forest east of the Mississippi was not an option. Maine was a cheap date that could be exploited.
The nearest fire department to the NECEC is the small volunteer fire department in the West Forks, Maine. Should a fire break out this small dedicated fire department will be the first to respond with their volunteer crew. When the forest service is called in to help the bill could be well in the millions. We as tax payers will foot the bill. No CMP money was allocated for this possibility.
Please donate to the West Forks Fire Department. They need all the help they can get!
Ed Buzzell,
Moxie Gore
