Indian Mountain Road major brush fire contained

Photos by Anne Day

LAKEVILLE — Billows of black smoke filled a clear, blue, sunny sky above Indian Mountain Road as between 35 and 50 acres of land were overcome by a major brush fire Tuesday afternoon, March 20. Lakeville Hose Company Chief Jason Wilson reported Thursday morning, March 22, that the fire is "contained," with a perimeter set up around it. He said the original estimate of the extent of the blaze was 20 acres; by Thursday he said it was likely that between 35 and 50 acres had been involved in the blaze. As of Thursday, there were still some smoldering logs and debris "but nothing we're seriously worried about."We're hoping to get a little help from the weather. We'll be keeping an eye on it for the next couple days."Wilson, interviewed at the scene at the command center set up at 183 Indian Mountain Road on Tuesday, said the fire was called in from a residence at the corner of Long Pond and Indian Mountain roads at 2:12 p.m. and he responded to the scene.“It began at the rear of a residence, where they were burning brush, with a permit,” Wilson said. “Eventually, 20 acres were involved, going along the backyards of residences. Nothing was threatened as far as structures, though, except a small barn.”There was no livestock in the barn, according to Wilson.Fire companies from the entire Tri-state region converged on the scene to help contain the fire. By about 5 p.m., Wilson said, the fire had been contained, but “our crews will be here all throughout the night, working the perimeter and walking the forest to be sure it stays contained and that it's out.”Among the towns that sent aid for the fire were: Sharon, North Canaan, Falls Village, Kent, Norfolk and Cornwall in Connecticut; Egremont, New Marlborough and Sheffield, Mass.; and Amenia, Millerton, North East Fire District, Wassaic and the Dutchess County Task Force, Region 5 Dutchess County, N.Y.John Barbagallo, who is the public information officer for the Norfolk fire company, said a private helicopter, owned by Don Nelson of Northwest Communications of Harwinton, was arriving around 5 p.m. to survey the scene and confirm containment of the fire.The water to battle the blaze was accessed through the hydrant system and a dry hydrant at Ore Pond, Wilson said. He had notified the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, which would send support to aid the crews in containment through the night.The Lakeville Hose Company’s Ladies Auxiliary and the kitchen at Indian Mountain School were already preparing food at 5 p.m. Tuesday to feed the crews as they rotated shifts during the evening hours.At the command post at 183 Indian Mountain Road, the crews were being assigned and emergency services and first aid tents and equipment trucks were set up. The atmosphere was calm and professional, to the credit of so many volunteer crews who descended on this small section of town to face down and hold back the flames.Because of the size of the fire, and its proximity to residences, national and state news outlets were in the process of finding the rural Northwest Corner of Connecticut as the fire was being contained. This story was updated on Thursday morning, March 22.