Elevated Risk Of Wildfire Has Officials Extend Emergency Burn Ban

From North Branford Town Manager Michael Downes:

NORTH BRANFORD –The North Branford Fire Marshal’s Office, the Local Burning Officials for the Town of North Branford have extended an emergency burn ban put in place October 26, with the issuing of burn permits suspended, and those already with permits required to not burn over the course of the next 14 days.

Residents are asked not to burn any brush on their property, or operate any outdoor grills, firepits, campfires etc. until the conclusion of the ban. Town officials will lift the ban when sufficient rainfall has occurred to substantially lower the risk of wildfire.

The State of Connecticut is under a “Red Flag” alert with extremely dry conditions and lack of rain which will continue at least Thursday of next week, creating high risk for the ignition and spread of wildfires.

Governor Ned Lamont has declared a State of Emergency due to the critical fire weather conditions, and state and local agencies have been working to suppress other fire incidents that have been sparked statewide. The State Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has also instituted a burn ban at all Connecticut State Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Management areas.
Residents are asked to be vigilant concerning the following activities, which are the most common causes of wildfire ignition:

• Discarded smoking materials
• ATV and UTV activity especially without spark arresters
• Dragging trailer chains
• Use of outdoor grills
• Campfires
• Power tools and equipment that generate heat or sparks