No injuries after lightning strike causes Bristol brush fire

BRISTOL — Mother Nature was the culprit of a brush fire on Roundtop Mountain Saturday afternoon, with evidence of lightning striking a tree during a thunderstorm last week.

Bristol firefighters were sent by the Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid at 4:54 p.m. on Aug. 15, for an outdoor smoke investigation near Roundtop and New Chester Mountain Road.

Lt. Matt O’Neill said the Cardigan Mountain Fire Tower, in Alexandria, called in via radio, and the fire department was able to triangulate with the Green Mountain Fire Tower, in Effingham, to locate visible smoke off New Chester Mountain.

Crews responded to the area of Slim Baker Lodge, where members told responders about smoke that looked like it was coming from the southwest peak of Roundtop, which has an elevation of about 1,100 feet. Personnel and equipment were staged at the cell phone tower at the end of Chestnut Street.

“We kind of played the mapping game, and relocated to the cell tower, and accessed there by foot,” O’Neill said. “It took about 20 minutes to locate.”

A drone was used to help initial responders find the fire through what was a short hike on steep terrain. The first three responders, equipped with forestry tools, found roughly 0.5 acres “burning pretty good.” O’Neill said it was spreading, but slowly, due to a constant breeze coming from the north.

“It was mostly just smoke conditions,” O’Neill said. “It was smoldering so the duff, the pine needs on top, was burning a little bit.

“It was nothing like a California wildfire or anything.”

A forestry call was made, and due to the location, it was mostly ground dirt work and hand tools used. Firefighters found evidence of a lightning strike on a tree, going up the entire trunk. O’Neill said with lightning, an area can smolder for several days until a breeze picks up, and spreads the fire.

The last severe storms in the area were late Wednesday and early Thursday, so it was potentially smoldering for several days before anyone noticed. O’Neill said this is where the fire towers come into play, and while some people don’t think they are necessary, they helped in this instance, to locate the smoke.

Crews were out of the woods by 8 p.m. on Saturday, and returned at 8 a.m. Sunday, for four hours of continued mop-up.

Bristol Fire responded with five apparatus and nine personnel. Mutual aid was provided by Bristol Police, and the Alexandria, Ashland, Danbury, and New Hampton departments. Stewart’s Ambulance Service and Hebron Fire provided station coverage.

O’Neill said two Bristol firefighters went back, on Monday morning, for about an hour to check on hot spots.

“There were still some smoldering spots, but the rain Sunday and last night helped,” O’Neill said Tuesday. “We didn’t go out today, but there was no smoke visible from Slim Baker Lodge.”

No structures were affected and no injuries were reported.