Crews continue to make progress on brush fires across the state. Officials from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection are reporting at least 70 being monitored or actively fought around Connecticut.
The largest is still the Hawthorne fire in Berlin. An update from crews indicated more progress Wednesday but still with cautious optimism.
A firefighter was taken to the hospital for treatment of a heat-related injury. They are expected to be OK.
Wednesday also brought an opportunity for our crews to venture into the neighborhood originally close to the blaze. A strong scent of smoke still hung in the air, along with an immense sense of gratitude for all the work crews have put in.
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“I came up Hawthorne Drive and I could see the fire on the mountain, and it was blazing,” said Jay Johnson, recalling the first night when the fire was reported on Oct. 21.
He, like many, called 911 to report the fire. He lives just off Hawthorne Drive and described the last 10 days as stressful.
“Smoke everywhere, I mean it has just been relentless,” Johnson said.
He said like many in the area, he too had a plan in place in case of evacuation. In spots along the ridge, the fire came within 100 feet of homes.
“We do come out here and every time we come out here, we are always looking,” Johnson said.
The fire remains at roughly 127 acres in total according to command staff. They gave an update on Wednesday from close to where the initial fire burned. They showed off steep terrain fire fighters have been dealing with. Their work over the last few days has been consistent.
“Identify hot spots and go in, stir them up and make sure they aren’t going to start back up,” said Ryan Hughes, the operations section chief for the fire.
Their fire lines around the perimeter of the fire remain a top priority. It’s a wide path totally clear of any flammable debris, so the fire runs out of fuel if it arrives at the line. Through the fire lines there are nearly two miles of fire hose running up the mountain.
The struggle officials noted has been the falling leaves. As they clear the fire line, more leaves fall and cover it, allowing the fire a chance to grow. Much of the initial burned area is also covered again in leaf litter, leaving concerns for “re-burn” where the fire would re-kindle, and work its way back over previously burned area.
The solution is significant rainfall, of which there is none in the forecast so far.
“It has been getting better but we are not letting our guard down up there with the wind shifts and the rising temperatures,” Berlin Fire Chief Jonn Massirio said.
Crews are in from as far away as Quebec and the State of Washington to aid in the fight.
“If we could do 18 and just keep going, they would do that in a heartbeat,” Jeff Pechacek, with the Columbia Basin Jobs Corps out of Washington, said.
The corps is a group of 18 to 25 year olds described to us as coming from low-income backgrounds. Many haven’t completed formal schooling or don’t have a GED. They are involved in the program Pechacek said so they can get their GED and complete some sort of skills training.
On top of that work, they are choosing to learn these fire skills and work across the country on wildland fires like the Hawthorne fire.
“A lot of them are super excited for the opportunity because they haven’t had many opportunities in life and see this as one of the first ways to make some money, learn some new skills,” Pechacek said.
Those living on the mountain are excited to have them, along with the countless other crews aiding in the fight.
“I feel very grateful. We all feel very grateful -- I’ll speak for everyone to have this kind of help,” Johnson said.
Fire officials also issued a reminder to use extreme caution with any kind of open flame, especially as dry conditions persist.
