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Emergency burn ban in place

As of Oct. 26, an emergency burn ban is in effect for all Connecticut state parks, forests, and wildlife management areas, as announced by Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Katherine Dykes.

The ban prohibits the use of any outdoor fire, including grills, campfires, and firepits. Governor Ned Lamont declared a state of emergency on Oct. 25, urging “all Connecticut residents to avoid any type of outdoor burning as the current conditions pose a high risk of fire danger.”

Litchfield County remains at an “extreme” fire danger level, alongside Hartford, Tolland and Fairfield counties. All other counties in the state are classified as having “very high” fire danger.

In a statement on Oct. 24, Kent Fire Marshall Timothy Limbos requested that residents refrain from having campfires during Halloween festivities. “In this extremely dry climate a simple spark can easily ignite a fire,” it read. The statement also notified residents that leaf burning is not allowed, even with a valid open burn permit.

The National Weather Service has raised a red flag warning for all of Connecticut and much of the Northeast. Red flag warnings are issued to alert fire officials that conditions are highly favorable for wildfire ignition and rapid growth, combining dry fuels, such as parched vegetation, low humidity, and high winds.

Unusually low rainfall and warm temperatures during the autumn season have dried out much of the state, with the U.S. Drought Monitor classifying a small region in the Northwest Corner as experiencing moderate drought conditions, and an additional 2/3 of the state as “abnormally dry”, according to DEEP.

Fires have already sprung up across Connecticut, with the Hawthorne Fire in Berlin spreading to between 100 and 110 acres as of Oct. 25. Veteran Firefighter Robert E. Sharkevich Sr. was killed fighting the Hawthorne fire when his UTV rolled on steep terrain, injuring the other three firefighters inside. Two other firefighters have been injured in slip and fall incidents fighting smaller fires elsewhere in the state.

The coming week’s weather brings little hope for moisture, with temperatures climbing to potentially record setting heights later in the week alongside breezy conditions and low humidity.

The National Weather Service called for a 20% chance of showers Oct. 29, with a slightly better chance for a shower on Oct. 31.

Alec Linden

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