Dry weather and sunshine is raising the fire risk around the state, and local officials are warning about potential brush fires. Between now and mid-May is typical brush fire season in Connecticut.
Dry weather and sunshine is raising the fire risk around the state and local officials are reminding people of the potential dangers of brush fires.
Mid-March to mid-May is Connecticut’s typical brush fire season. Just this week, a handful have already started popping up in Bridgeport, Essex, Hartford and Tolland counties.
With the elevated risks come warnings from local and state fire officials.
“As I got down the street about 50 yards I looked to my left and saw the flames shooting up,” Pamela England, of Essex, said.
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She caught herself watching a small brush fire on her street in Essex. It was quickly squashed by the Essex Fire Department but impacted a barn on the property. It kept neighbors on their toes.
“I couldn’t see where they were coming from but the flames were high enough to see over the trees,” England said.
She was grateful it was knocked down quick.
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“During these times you have to be careful, you have to be really careful,” Essex Fire Marshall John Planas said.
This fire came with a reminder from the town that we have entered Connecticut’s typical fire season. Dry weather combined with the increased sun and no leaves on trees allows the sun to bake the forest floor, leaving dry fast-burning fuel on the ground.
“It doesn’t take much to get a forest fire to get going, especially in the right conditions like we are seeing today,” Planas said.
He has already started sending out messaging about brush fire risks - messaging he sees as important following last fall, so Connecticut residents can be fire aware.
“Be fire wise, and make sure if you do start a fire, you call 911 immediately,” Tom Trask, forest protection supervisor with CT DEEP, said.
Their concern is more brush fires getting out of control like we saw in the fall including at Rocky Neck State Park and the Hawthorne Fire in Berlin that took weeks to extinguish.
Trask said they will continue to get messaging out there to remind people to be careful, but it's up to you to prevent ignition.
“Without the citizens of Connecticut helping us, it will continue to be a fight for us to keep those fires small,” Trask said.
Back in Essex, neighbors were grateful for their small volunteer department.
“For a volunteer fire department, they did a great job,” England said.
Those same fire officials are also offering reminders around fire ignition. They are asking people suspend any voluntary burning until it is safe to do so, and always check with local fire officials before doing any burning.
You should also be extremely cautious with any open flames or sparks.
