REMEMBER Bar Harbor Burning A letter home from the front lines of the Great Fire of '47 captures the enormity of the historic blaze. The largest conflagration in the state's The first thing we did was to help It was getting dark about an hour recorded history, the Great Fire of 1947, carry belongings out of a house in the later when a huge red glow suddenly tore across several areas of the state in path of the fire. Just as we were fin- appeared behind the hill on the north- October of that year, hitting Bar Harbor ishing, we looked across the street and west side of the cove. The trees right particularly hard. The following is a let- saw another place burst into flames. along the road began catching fire, ter written by Paul D. Turner, Jr., a vet- This was apparently typical of the sit- driving us back. It was just too big to eran of World War II who was studying uation. The main fire was at least five handle. We hoofed it up a nearby hill engineering at the University of Maine, hundred yards away, but the wind was and watched half of the town burn. A to his father back home in Malden, SO strong that the embers were scatter- house would catch fire and be flat fif- Massachusetts. Longtime summer visi- ing all over, leaving some homes teen minutes later. tors, the Turners, like people everywhere, untouched and igniting others. One of the boys with us knew were following news reports about the There wasn't much equipment, SO some people who owned a house at devastating forest fires ravaging Maine we used whatever we could get to fight the top of the hill leading into Hull's in the autumn of 1947. the flames, from pillows, pine boughs, Cove SO we went up there to see what the score was. They were lucky, October 30, 1947 We hoofed it up because they were on the shoreside of the road and the fire was downwind D EAR Pop, a nearby hill and from them. We found the people I've got a story for you this watched half home SO we went on in and had a time. Thursday noon, six of us drink and rested awhile. piled into the car and headed for Mount of the town burn. In the living room three big win- Desert Island to help fight the fire. We A house would dows looked out over the bay and got as far as the bridge and found that catch fire across to Bar Harbor. We could see a roadblock had been put up to keep the red glow moving gradually toward traffic off the island. We were deter- and be flat fifteen the resort. The lady of the house was mined to get across, though, SO we minutes later. quite well known around town, SO she parked the car in front of the roller- was able to put a call through to Bar skating rink and started walking. shovels, and brooms to hand-held Harbor even though the lines were The wind had swung around to the water pumps. The secret was to try and tied up with emergency calls. The northwest and was coming in very keep the fire on the ground from creep- report was that the fire had reached strong gusts, and from the bridge we ing up houses and setting nearby trees the big estates on Eden Road, and that could look across the bay and see on fire, because when a tree caught all exits had been cut off. We had smoke billowing and flames leaping up there was no stopping it. It was really planned to head for Bar Harbor to help to the tops of the trees. We started a tremendous sight to watch the fire out there, but we had to wait until the hitchhiking. It wasn't long before we whip through the forest. There were road reopened. got a ride in a truck that was going back some fire hoses available, SO we saved About an hour later we spotted to evacuate houses in the path of the a few of the houses by wetting them some headlights moving along the road fire. down and beating out the fire on the across the bay and before long an end- Things weren't too bad until we ground. less stream of cars was going by with came over a hill leading into Hull's In a couple of hours it looked like evacuees from Bar Harbor. We knew Cove. There, clouds of smoke were the main fire had passed Hull's Cove, the road was passable now, SO we went whipping across the road. This was as SO we stopped at the mobile canteen for out and thumbed a ride on a truck head- far as the vehicle could go, SO we got eats. A little later trucks started com- ed toward the fire. out and walked down into the middle ing in and loading up with men to head That was the beginning of the most of town. Fire hoses were all over the for Bar Harbor, which was now direct- devastating thing I ever hope to see. As road, furniture from evacuated houses ly in the path of the flames. Half of our we moved toward Bar Harbor we was strewn along the edge of the street, bunch got in a truck, and the rest of us passed hundreds of fires burning on and people were running in twelve dif- stayed in Hull's Cove to help get the either side of the road. The main fire ferent directions. hoses back onto the fire trucks. (Continued on page 64) 96 DOWN EAST Oct'97 P96,64 THE WILLIAM AND MARY TAVERN Bar Harbor Burning TABLE "high" country at its finest. The (Continued from page 96) price for a standard 36" X 84" table with reclaimed antique-pine top is only $1,075. Can be ordered with "company boards," was still ahead, though, and the red radi- and in a variety of finish and wood choices ance increased in brilliance as we moved (cherry, tiger maple, etc.). Shown here along. Then, almost suddenly, we were with our very popular continuous-arm in its midst. Clouds of smoke and embers Windsor chair which, in a custom finish, sells for $225. We will be pleased to answer were blowing everywhere, and on both all inquiries about our line of reproduction sides of the road trees and houses were country furniture handcrafted from alive with flames. The right-hand side of reclaimed antique lumber. the road rises steeply, and a lot of the MAINE TRADING POST INC. summer homes were built there among Boothbay Harbor, ME Rt. 1, Wiscasset, ME the trees. There were stretches where 36 W. 25th St., New York, NY 207-633-2760 207-882-7400 212-627-7195 none were left standing, while others a little further along were still burning. Every time a gust of wind came the flames would burst out with a roar that B was almost deafening. rown ash baskets hand-crafted in the tradi- Our truck finally got through into the tion of the Maine woodsmen, Shakers, and downtown district. The first thing we did Native American basketmakers. was go to the main fire station where the fire-fighting effort was centered. We For those who love fine craftsmanship and art went upstairs where they had hot food in the things they use every day, as well as in the and a first-aid station set up. There we things they collect. found the rest of our crew, who had just come in for a breather - fifteen Phi Catalog: $2. Swing Handle Apple Basket Kaps in all were in Bar Harbor that night, a turnout of which we were proud. One STEPHEN ZEH BASKETMAKER of our guys was having his foot bandaged after stepping on a nail, but the rest were P.O. Box 381P Temple, Maine 04984 207-778-2351 okay. All of our eyes, though, were sting- ing from smoke and embers. When someone called for fifteen men KEEP IT TOGETHER to go out on a hose truck, we all took off together, and drove out to a point on the northwest side of town where a stand was Slipcases are a great way to keep your back issues of Down East handy and organized for easy reference. Our handsome green binders and being made to keep the fire from break- slipcases are each designed to hold one year's issues. ing into the business district. Three roads Slipcases are V-notched for easy access. met there, and the buildings on two of Binders have a special spring-and-rod mechanism to hold magazines. them had burned. The wind was blow- Slipcases 1-$8.95 3-$24.95 6-$45.95 ing the embers across to the unburned Binders 1-$11.25 3-$31.85 6-$60.75 section, and our job was to set up hose Please add $1.50 each for shipping. lines to wet down the ruins and prevent We ship UPS; no P.O. boxes, please. more embers from spreading. Pennsylvania residents After a couple of hours we were add 7% sales tax. pretty well worn out, and being as the Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. danger to the rest of Bar Harbor was Call 800-825-6690 much diminished, we hitchhiked a ride or send Binder/Slipcase orders out to the bridge and headed back to with payment to: school. All in all it was something I'll Jesse Jones Industries/Down East never forget. Dept. 95DOE, 499 East Erie Ave. I see in the letter you sent me today Philadelphia, PA 19134 that you stored your canoe in Bar Harbor. From what I saw, I think it probably in burned. The center of town was the only place that wasn't touched. Love, Paul Nostalgic Maine recollections, hu- morous or otherwise, are invited. Payment is made upon acceptance. Address submissions to: I Remember, Down East Magazine, Post Office Box 679, Camden, Maine 04843. 64 DOWN EAST