'Our State Is A Tinderbox': CT Officials Warn Drought Is Fueling Fires

CONNECTICUT — An unprecedented statewide drought is currently fueling dozens of brush fires throughout the state and stretching Connecticut fire-fighting resources thin.

Governor Ned Lamont declared a state of emergency late last week, and is urging residents to continue their vigilance.

"It's the worst drought since we (started) recording droughts, which goes back to 1905, that means that our state is a tinderbox. Everything is incredibly flammable. Anytime a dry leaf falls, it's fuel for the flames," Lamont said in a news briefing at the William A. O'Neill State Armory Emergency Operations Center in Hartford on Monday afternoon.

Lamont gave his remarks alongside officials from the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection and the Connecticut National Guard National, who are currently pulling out all stops in efforts to get a number of wildfires under control.

A brush fire in Berlin has grown from 60 to over 120 acres in size, according to Connecticut's State Forester Chris Martin. The so-called "Hawthorne Fire" is one of over 50 active fires DEEP is currently tracking. Lamont said fire control authorities now believe the blaze started as a camp fire.

"All the fires in Connecticut currently have the possibility of reignition, and that's why we are considering no fires to be contained or controlled," Martin said.

DEEP is relying most heavily on local firefighters to manage the spread, Martin said, but has also activated the state crew as emergency wildland firefighters. They are joining firefighters from Maine, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire who have been brought in-state to assist.

"We're continuing to take advantage of Connecticut's long history of going to help other states when they were in need, to be able to draw on those assets when we need them now," Martin said. Residential areas and energy infrastructure have been prioritized for protection.

Firefighting helicopters from Maine and the Connecticut National Guard have already dropped over 340,000 gallons of water meant to suppress the spread of the blaze. Lamont quoted $8,000/hour as the price tag for the chopper operations.

The last time the Connecticut National Guard resorted to aerial water drops to battle brush fires was 1995, Major General Francis J. Evon, Jr., told reporters. Forty members of the guard are currently on orders working fire operations in the state.

DEEP has issued a "burn ban" across all state lands, which is being echoed by many local emergency offices. Open outdoor flames — including campfires, bonfires, fire pits, and outdoor cooking — are off limits "until the state gets a soaking rain," DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said, before predicting the state was in for a "very flammable next couple of weeks."

Here are the extended forecast details for Connecticut via the National Weather Service:

Tuesday: Patchy frost before 9 a.m. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 61. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the morning.

Tuesday Night: A chance of showers, mainly before 2 a.m. Cloudy, with a low around 51. South wind, 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.

Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 74. Southwest wind 6 to 10 mph.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 53. Southwest wind around 7 mph.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. Southwest wind 6 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Thursday Night: A chance of showers after 3 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. Southwest wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Friday: A chance of showers before 1 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 70. West wind 8 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 40. North wind 6 to 9 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 57. North wind 3 to 6 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 36. Calm wind.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 62. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon.