Prompted by the cluster of vicious wildfires that broke out in Los Angeles County on Jan. 7, and as new evacuations have been ordered there as recently as Jan. 23, 2025, Gorham’s Fire Chief Ken Fickett shared his decades-long experience with the devastation of such infernos.
“Wind played a huge part in those fires.” He said, “The heat and drought in the area created dry, dangerous conditions. A spark from a grill or small brush fire could have led to billions of dollars and dozens of lives lost, and 100 mph winds were the worst part of the equation.”
It’s not as dry in Maine as in Los Angeles, and we don’t have to factor in the Santa Ana winds here, but the increasingly hotter summer months are more of a challenge now, and Fickett assures that the GFD is prepared to meet the challenge. Fickett talked about a 2022 barn fire that brought fire crews from several towns and kept himself and his firefighters and others up for many, many hours. The story was like the worst nightmare.
“We’re constantly training—with fires the thing is ‘surround and drown,’ ” Fickett said, “and we stay ahead of most of the fires that do break out. But we need to receive a call before a brush fire or home accident turns into something bigger.” Homeowners are sometimes hesitant to call for help until they see that a gust of wind or an exploding tree limb has changed the fire management conditions.
Photo credit:JoAnn LeibAt Gorham FD entrance, dedicated to firefighters past, present, future.
Fickett offered a reminder for citizens who want to stay informed by participating in the Code Red program, a secure sign-up page to keep you safe in the event of an emergency. The system allows for a text, phone or email delivery to participants who connect, and it is a free service. (Visit www.cumberlandcounty.org or http://www.cumberlandcounty.org/130/Regional-Communications-Center.)
Code Red alerts include fires, severe weather activity, road closures, criminal activity, evacuations and missing person cases. The system is geographically based, alerting only residents in the affected area, and it is current information.
“We work hand in hand with the Gorham Police Department, the town, the county and our own psychological support professional.” Emergencies are part of life, but when something goes wrong, often the Fire Department is the first call folks make.
“We’re in it to the end,” Fickett says.