Middlefield Brush Fire Ongoing; Crews to Return Tuesday Morning

The battle against a brush fire that had spread over six acres of forested land in Middlefield was called off Monday evening due to safety concerns. 

Fire Chief Peter Tyc said officials decided to curtain operations once it got dark, however the responders do plan to return early Tuesday morning to continue putting out the fire that has stubbornly been burning this hilly section in the Lake Beseck area of Middlefield.

"The fire has literally gone underground which means roots are burning and it comes up at various places," Tyc said. "It is safe for the time being we don’t expect it to spread any further and we have put out the perimeter."

Emergency responders first got the call around 9 a.m. Monday about a reported fire between Kickapoo Road and the Middlefield dog park. Nearly a dozen companies responded from as far away as East Haddam and East Hampton, supplying tanker trucks, all-terrain vehicles and crews to assist.

The response team part of a special task force, made up of Middlesex County and some Central Connecticut towns, which assist each other in big events like this with certain pieces of equipment and manpower, Tyc said.

(Click here to see a photo gallery of the crews that responded, courtesy of Middlefield resident Amy Poturnicki).

Four crews are expected to return Tuesday: Middlefield, Durham and the South Fire and Westfield departments in Middletown, Tyc said. He also said the state's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is sending a team.
Tyc said putting the fire out has become a labor intensive effort.

"The wind certainly played into effect," Tyc said. "It’s very steep, very rugged terrain. There’s many trees on the ground." 

Because of a lack of adequate water sources, responders have to transport pumper trucks with water up the mountain.

Still, Tyc credited all of the emergency crews — both volunteer and paid — for an "oustanding effort" in responding and assisting in the fire. 

The picture above came from the Durham Volunteer Fire Company's Facebook page, which you can view here.