There are currently at least 50 active wildfires burning across 黑料吃瓜网, according to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, including the ongoing Hawthorne Fire in Berlin.
That fire has reached over 120 acres. It injured several first responders and led to the death last week of Wethersfield firefighter Robert Sharkevich, Sr. who was remembered during a funeral service Monday.
鈥淲e are, frankly, trying to keep up with the reports coming in,鈥� said Chris Martin, state forester with DEEP. 鈥淎t least 50 active fires [are] currently burning in 黑料吃瓜网.鈥�
Katie Dykes, head of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said there is a statewide 鈥渂urn ban鈥� in effect at public lands administered by her agency.
鈥淪o that ban applies to state parks, to forests and to wildlife management areas. This prevents any open flames: campfires, burning and so on,鈥� she said.
State emergency management officials took advisories a step further, cautioning residents to 鈥渁void burning of any kind outdoors鈥� including Jack-o-Lanterns.
馃敟 CT Residents: High fire danger today! Dry weather and strong winds create perfect conditions for wildfires. Avoid burning of any kind outdoors, do not light your jack-o-lanterns, & dispose of cigarettes safely. Let's keep our forests and communities safe!馃尣
— CT Emergency Management & Homeland Security (@CTDEMHS)
The dozens of wildfires currently burning are still dangerous, officials said.
鈥淎ll the fires in 黑料吃瓜网 currently have the possibility of reignition,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 why we are considering 鈥� no fires to be contained or controlled.鈥�
Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Francis Evon said 40 members of the 黑料吃瓜网 National Guard are working to contain fires throughout the state.
That response includes over 340,000 gallons of water dropped from helicopters.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e staging out of our facility up at Bradley. We鈥檝e got one CH-47 that we鈥檙e staging up there and also one UH-60,鈥� Evon said. 鈥淎nd, new over the weekend, we have [an] additional eight firefighters that are on the ground in Berlin, cutting lines, pulling hoses at the Hawthorne Fire.鈥�
Evon says his agency hasn鈥檛 done aerial drops of water since 1995.
Gov. Ned Lamont declared a state of emergency on Friday to help first responders deal with the ongoing wildfire threat.
With no significant rain in the immediate forecast, Lamont said Monday that residents need to remain vigilant for the ongoing threat of wildfires across the state.
鈥淣o open flames 鈥� just put that away,鈥� Lamont said. 鈥淓ach and every one of those little embers, you think it is out. And, actually, it can spread.鈥�
