The Wild River fire, the biggest wildfire in modern New Hampshire history, appears increasingly under control following recent rains and continued efforts by federal, state and local fire crews.
As of Wednesday, it was about 53% contained, with fire crews — 87 people with two helicopters and a heat-spotting drone — doing mop-up and containment work. “Ongoing infrared flights conducted by unmanned aircraft systems continue to identify and assess potential hot spots within the fire area,” White Mountain Forest officials said in a release.
A big concern, as with many wildfires, is that winds might re-ignite hot spots or send embers outside the containment area to start new fires.
Closure rules are still in effect for the area, as some parts of the fire perimeter are not controlled.
The fire, near Gorham on the edge of the Maine border, reached more than 800 acres, making it apparently the biggest in the history of the White Mountain National Forest. Bigger wildfires occurred around the start of the 20th century before the forest was established and modern logging practices began.
