07/28/2026
Well, I've got to tell you about the latest goings-on up here in the North Maine Woods!
I was riding up the Golden Road with my chummy Ted. We'd been guiding rafts for the past couple of days, and I'll tell you, we were about as tired as two fellas in their fifties should be after trying to keep up with a bunch of 25-year-olds.
We were just coming around the corner at Little Amberjack when I looked out and exclaimed, "Where's all the water?" I could see eight to ten feet of exposed shoreline, like a giant bathtub ring around the river. Something was definitely up.
Well, we arrived at Big Eddy and confirmed it: the powerhouse was shut down. Brookfield had experienced another "trip event"—an incident that automatically shuts down all the turbines at McKay Station, leaving less than 500 cfs of flow in the river.
We were standing on the shore, talking about all the poor fish that were going to be lost that day, along with the crayfish, stonefly nymphs, and caddis larvae left exposed, when Sarah, who manages the operation at Big Eddy, told us about a big plume of smoke rising from the power line just upriver from the campground.
Well, curious as cats, we headed out to investigate.
Sure enough, just across the road from the rapid we affectionately call "Troublemaker," we could see the plume of smoke—and even flames getting awfully close to the spruce thickets lining the power line.
We high-tailed it back to Big Eddy, grabbed the Indian cans, and headed right back. A few moments later, there we were, wading through the soft ground. That area has always been wet, so there was a thick layer of roots and dirt that would open up like a trapdoor, with nothing underneath but rocks and roots waiting to smash your shins.
After struggling about 30 yards through the woods, we found the fire, the smoke, and the downed wire that had caused the whole shebang.
We started pumping those Indian cans—backpack fire suppression systems—and firing streams of water at the flames and hot spots. We were especially careful around the downed power line because, as we all know, no power line is ever safe to touch. Evah.
Now, I'm actually not telling you all this because I want you to know what heroes my buddy Ted and I are. I'm telling you because there are a couple of bigger things we need to talk about.
First...
This is not the first fire in this area.
It's not the first fire along this power line.
It's not the first fire caused by a failed crossarm on a power pole.
And it's not the first fire Brookfield has been responsible for.
Brookfield Renewable likes people to believe they're all about green energy and protecting the environment. If that's truly the case, then when are they going to replace the aging crossarms between McKay Station and Millinocket?
It's clear these cross arms are failing.
It's clear this maintenance is overdue.
Second...
We were fortunate to have the firefighting equipment available at Big Eddy Campground, but it quickly became obvious that those Indian cans are in desperate need of some tender loving care.
One wouldn't pump at all.
Mine had a split in the nozzle, and every time I squeezed the handle, it shot water out the side—right into my eyes—like a bad spit take from a '90s sitcom. I was able to help put out the fire, but it cost me my ability to see clearly for a few seconds. By the time I was done, I was wearing nearly as much water as I had sprayed on the fire.
Others had leaky hoses, lids that wouldn't seal properly, and a variety of other issues.
I'm going to say we got away with it.
We were able to suppress the fire effectively until the Forest Service arrived to take over. But I couldn't help thinking that this was a small fire, and we got to it early—before it spread very far. We caught it just as it was reaching the edge of the power line and beginning to creep beneath a dense spruce thicket.
It would have been nice if all four backpack units had been working properly.
So here's where I'm asking for your help.
I'd like to raise enough money to purchase four new Indian can backpack fire suppression systems to be stored at Big Eddy Campground. They cost about $250 each, so our goal is $1,000.
It's a small investment that will help ensure we have the equipment needed to protect Big Eddy, the North Maine Woods, and everyone who enjoys this incredible place when the next emergency happens.
To donate to the cause - Click here and look for the "giving back" page. Each $50 angler you book, is one chance to win the aforementioned fishing trip at Little Eddy.
https://horizonlineadventures.com/booking/
