SCARBOROUGH, Maine — If you were in Scarborough Wednesday, you may have noticed smoke rising from a large hayfield along Broadturn Road.
Despite the sight, there was nothing to be worried about.
The smoke came from a controlled fire conducted by the Maine Forest Service and the Scarborough Land Trust, with support from the local fire department, on a 30-acre hayfield.
This practice burn was meticulously planned and accounted for wind direction and moisture levels.
"The burn will help with the regrowth of the hayfield and benefit the land in the long term," Andrew Mackie, the land trust's executive director, said.
According to the U.S. Forest Service, grass and plants that regrow after a fire are typically healthier because the ash left behind contains nutrients that act as a natural fertilizer.
In addition to the ecological benefits, the prescribed fire provided an opportunity for the Scarborough Fire Department to train alongside forest wardens.
Deputy fire Chief John Brennan noted the value of the training experience. "It provides our firefighters an opportunity to work alongside the forest wardens and see what they do and how they conduct these burns," Brennan said. "What equipment they use that we may not have access to. Certainly, in times of large-scale incidents, we would call them in for their support, so being able to work alongside them today makes those relationships easier down the road should we need to call them for one of our incidents."
This was the first time the land trust conducted a prescribed fire in the area.
"We hope to do more in the future," Mackie said. "Probably not annually, but every couple of years."
Organizers also pointed to another advantage of the burn: It helps with tick control.