By Paul Sylvain 

Normally, it’s the volunteer fire department that rushes to battle a blaze at the home of a neighbor. However, it was the neighbors in town who, in recent weeks, turned the tables by responding to Machiasport Fire Department Chief David Neilson’s urgent plea for help.

In nothing short of a miracle, the Machiasport Fire Department more than doubled its number of volunteer firefighters over the past two months, with more people expected to sign up.