By Jessica Bravo
The Middletown Press
BERLIN, Conn. — Officials said dozens of brush fires across Connecticut have the chance of re-igniting even though they may be “contained or controlled.”
In the past week, 40 fires have been contained and about 12 of those were more than an acre in size, according to data from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Causes of the fires varied, from things such as “smoking” to burning debris.
DEEP Forest Protection Supervisor Tom Trask said during a news conference Tuesday night that officials are being notified of between three and eight new fires each day, as between 70 and 80 total fires burn throughout the state. Most of the fires average between three and 10 acres, he said.
Connecticut State Forester Chris Martin said four active fires were being monitored in Berlin, Canaan, Oxford and Voluntown. The largest of the bunch, the Berlin brush fire on Lamentation Mountain, has resulted in 120 to 130 acres of woods burned.
While the size of the Berlin fire has remained roughly the same size, Berlin Fire Chief John Massirio said Tuesday night that 30 percent of the fire has been “completed,” and no significant growth has been seen along the outward edge of the fire.
Officials have confirmed that the Oxford fire is at Naugatuck State Forest, the Voluntown fire is at Pachaug State Forest and the Canaan fire is near Cobble Road.
Oxford Fire Chief Scott Pelletier said the fire at Naugatuck State Forest has been burning since 1 a.m. on Friday but it is currently “contained” on Tuesday. He added that there is still burning in the center and is being monitored by DEEP.
“Our state is a tinderbox,” Gov. Ned Lamont said. “Everything is incredibly flammable. Anytime a dry leaf falls, it’s fuel for flames. ... What we need is rain.”
Lamont also said the state’s drought data was some of the most severe data ever recorded in the state. He said the data started being collected in 1905.
Some rain began falling in most parts of Connecticut Tuesday evening, but not a significant enough amount to impact the fire conditions, experts said.
“A light rain won’t even make a dent in the fire conditions out there,” said Josh Cingranelli, a meteorologist and regional coordinator with the Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, Tuesday night. “We are going to need a soaking, soaking rain.”
Christie Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said September and October have been unusually dry. Smith said both months typically total about 8 or 9 inches of rain, while as of now both months have received only about an inch of rain.
The Berlin fire, also being called the Hawthorne fire, will take weeks to extinguish, according to Massirio. With firefighters already fighting the flames for more than a week, with the help of the National Guard and out-of-state resources, there still is work to be done.
“We still expect that its gonna take an extended period of time to get in there and monitor and watch those troubled areas,” Massirio said at a news conference. “We’ll be up there, as we’ve said, for the next, you know, week or two at minimum.”
Massirio said there may be firefighter activity on the mountain but much of it is for overhaul and wetting down areas.
A 20-person crew from Canada is expected to help in the fight by midweek, Trask said Tuesday evening. The crew would help as temperatures rise, Trask said, even though Massirio said the temperatures likely would not be a “big issue.”
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