More than 100 wildfires in Connecticut as historic drought continues: officials

More than 100 wildfires have broken out in Connecticut as state officials warn the threat of more outdoor fires could continue into next year if a historic stretch of dry weather continues.

As of Sunday evening, officials were actively fighting five fires in Berlin, Bristol, East Lyme, Oxford and Roxbury, according to Richard Schenk, fire suppression officer for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Schenk told KT Insider that they could still work to put out fires into January if weather conditions don’t improve as the state remains at increased risk. He recommended that no one burn anything outdoors for now.

Schenk said 111 wildfires are under observation or in the early stages of containment. If there is no rain soon, more fires are likely to break out in the next few days.

The wildfires come as Connecticut faces record drought and an 8-inch rainfall deficit over the past two months, state officials said.

One of the largest wildfires to date broke out at Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme, Connecticut, over the weekend. The fire, which burned nearly 50 acres, was so intense that fire crews were sent from California to lend a helping hand, according to reports. Fox 61. Crews from Quebec also came to the rescue. NBC Connecticut reported.

The Rocky Neck fire is not yet out and the park will remain closed until conditions improve, East Lyme officials said.

The Berlin, Connecticut fire was worse than the one in East Lyme. The Mount of Lament Fire is currently the largest in the state and has been burning for two weeks straight, Berlin Fire Chief Johnn Massirio told CT Insider.

The ongoing fire in Berlin, dubbed the “Hawthorne Fire” by the crew, has spread to more than 100 acres and was only 50 percent contained as of Sunday, Massirio said. News Times.

Ten forest fires broke out between October 31 and November 1. Four more were reported Nov. 2, according to DEEP’s wildfire reporting system.