Helicopters from the Connecticut National Guard have dropped hundreds of thousands of gallons of water on the more-than-100-acre wildfire on Lamentation Mountain in what continues to be an uphill battle during the worst drought the state has seen since it began tracking drought data in 1905.
“That means that our state is a tinderbox,” Gov. Ned Lamont said at an afternoon news briefing at the state Emergency Operations Center in Harford. “Everything is incredibly flammable. Anytime a dry leaf falls, it’s fuel for the flames.”
The fire on Lamentation Mountain extends about 121 acres and remained about the same over the weekend despite the extensive efforts by local firefighters, crews from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the National Guard.
“We’re more or less making sure it can’t expand any further,” Lamont said. “What we need is rain.”
Helicopters from the National Guard, as well as one from Maine, have been dumping thousands and thousands of gallons of water on the fire to contain and control it. According to Lamont, about 340,000 gallons of water had been dropped as of Monday. Lamont said the helicopters cost about $8,000 an hour.
The National Guard has about 40 members working the fire in Berlin, a majority of whom are conducting aerial drops and have staged out of Bradley International Airport, according to Major General Francis J. Evon Jr. The last time the National Guard had to conduct aerial drops of water in Connecticut was 1995, Evon noted.
“So that’s really unprecedented,” Evon said.
The news briefing on Monday came on the heels of hundreds gathering in Hartford to pay respects to 66-year-old Robert Sharkevich Sr., a Wethersfield firefighter who died in a UTV accident last week while responding to the wildfire in Berlin. Three other firefighters were injured when the vehicle they were riding in rolled over on the treacherous terrain of Lamentation Mountain.
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Over the weekend, two more firefighters were injured while battling the wildfire. The firefighters were hurt Saturday during what were described as “slip and fall type accidents” on the dangerous terrain of the mountain, John Massirio, chief of the Berlin Fire Department, said in a weekend news briefing. Massirio said both firefighters were taken to area hospitals and later released.
The fire in Berlin is by far the biggest in the state, though authorities say they are tracking about 50 other fires that have the threat of reignition and the potential to spread as the bleak extended forecast is not calling for any periods of heavy rain. Other fires being monitored include those in Oxford, Canaan and Voluntown and are between nine and 15 acres, officials said.
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“But until we get a soaking rain, we consider all of these fires across the state ones that need to be managed,” DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said at Monday’s news conference. “And so we’re working to ensure that there’s proper surveillance and that we’re helping to address as new fires are cropping up, being able to get personnel on the scene to keep them from growing into larger fires.”
Lamont last week declared a state of emergency in light of the wildfire in Berlin, which entered its eight day on Monday. The state has also enacted a temporary ban on burning that extends to any state parks, state forests and DEEP wildlife management areas. This would prevent any bonfires, fire pits, campfires or outdoor cooking until a soaking rain falls.
A number of municipalities have also put bans in place on open burning, including those of Manchester, Vernon, Bristol and others.
According to the Vernon Police Department, officers over the weekend responded to numerous calls reporting outdoor fire pits being used. The Bristol Fire Department warned residents that violating the temporary burning ban could lead to a citation or an arrest depending on the severity.
State officials have called on Connecticut residents to help make sure no additional fires are started over the next few weeks, which are expected to continue to be unseasonably dry. Lamont encouraged everyone in Connecticut to avoid any open flames and be careful when discarding things like cigarettes.
“Each and every one of those little embers you think is out and actually can spread,” Lamont said, adding that state authorities believe the wildfire in Berlin was started from a campfire that wasn’t completely extinguished.
Dykes said DEEP has provided resources for residents to help stop the spread of wildfires on its website. Even parking cars on dry grass can start a fire or flicking a discarded cigarette. Operating heavy equipment such as chainsaws or ATVs can also be dangerous in the woods if they don’t have a spark inhibitor, Dykes said.
With Halloween just days away, Dykes encourages anyone looking to put out a jack-o’-lantern to use a battery-operated candle and avoid anything involving a flame.
“So I urge each and every one of you to be careful and do what you can to protect your community,” Lamont said. “If you see anything that looks smokey and dangerous, you call 911 so we can get on top of that.”
“We really can’t overemphasize the the ability of the citizens to really take their own precautionary preventative measures to really help us through this unprecedented time,” Evon said.
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