Alna Firefighters Alna firefighters and first responders carry a gurney with 49-year-old Dale Humason to a waiting helicopter to be transported to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. (Photo Paula Gibbs)

A call to airlift an Alna man struck by a falling tree Tuesday morning, a stubborn chimney fire two hours later, and a call for a garage fire Tuesday afternoon kept Alna firefighters running most of the day.

According to Detective Jon Allen of the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, Dale Humason, 49, of 901 West Alna Road was cutting a tree in a wooded area near his home when it split and "the butt kicked up and hit him in the head." Humason's father made the 911 call for help.

Alna Fire Chief Mike Trask said, "My understanding was he was cutting down an oak tree and it snapped." Trask speculated that the tree may have snapped because it was frozen.

Members of the Wiscasset Ambulance Service brought the victim to a field owned by the Averill family, about a mile and a half away. A LifeFlight helicopter had been dispatched to land in the field. Three Alna firefighters, including Jeff Averill, formed a huge triangle in the middle of the field to direct the pilot where to land. Trask said this is one of several designated locations in the town that the fire department uses to land helicopters in emergencies.

As the helicopter approached, the firefighters pointed towards the center with outstretched arms.

Traffic was stopped in both directions on the West Alna Road by two Alna fire trucks parked broadside. As soon as the helicopter landed, three men carrying first aid equipment walked quickly to the waiting ambulance. They were inside the ambulance about 20 minutes.

The doors to the ambulance opened and several firefighters and First Responders carried the gurney with the injured man across the field to the helicopter. Once everyone was secure inside, the helicopter took off for Central Maine Medical Center. As of Tuesday night, the nursing supervisor at the medical center said she had no information yet on his condition.

A short time later, Alna firefighters were called back out to fight a chimney fire on the Lathrop Road, which is off the West Alna Road.

Trask said it took them about two hours to make sure the fire was out inside the chimney, which provided the vent for a woodstove. There was no damage to the inside of the house, he said, which is owned by Lisa and Jason Arsenault.

Tuesday afternoon Alna firefighters provided back up to Wiscasset firefighters who were called to the West Alna Road, this time within the town of Wiscasset, to put out a garage fire. Trask said he did not know the cause of the fire at the Morse residence, but it was quickly contained, and there was no damage to the house.