Friday’s red flag warnings have firefighters on alert. They’re already battling dozens of blazes across the state, including the Hawthorne Fire in Berlin.
With another warm day coming up and potentially gustier winds, crews are worried about new fires starting and they are making sure firefighters working outside stay hydrated.
“We're not out of the woods by any means. The walk I had up on the mountain today still showed a lot of hot spots,” Chief Jonn Massirio, of the Berlin Volunteer Fire Department, said.
Winds stirred up the Hawthorne Fire in Berlin, which has burned 127 acres.
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And across the state, there were a handful of new fires on Thursday, bringing the total close to 90.
“One of the fires was an individual in the town of Ellington was mulching leaves with his riding lawnmower. Very common for people to be doing that at this time of year. The leaves will build up, get near an exhaust pipe. And it started a fire on that. He wasn't able to stomp the leaves out quick enough and it resulted in a quarter-acre fire,” Rich Schenk, DEEP fire control officer, said.
More teams are headed to Connecticut to help relieve crews in Berlin.
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A group from Quebec will hit the ground Friday morning and a contingent from California is expected soon.
“It's been a long week and a half, stretching past that now. So it's important to look out for our crews' welfare and make sure that they're getting rotated through. These crews coming in do have specialized skills,” Massirio said.
The fire remains about 30% contained, but with it burning deep into roots, it could be a while before it’s fully out.
“We need the extra manpower. We're in this for the long haul until we get significant rain,” Schenk said.
Crews are urging everyone to do their part to help prevent new fires by following burn bans and being cautious outside.
