BERLIN, Conn. – Forty aviators, firefighters, and support personnel from the Connecticut National Guard were activated to assist local and state emergency personnel with containing a brush fire that consumed more than 120 acres of wildlife on Lamentation Mountain on Oct. 23.
This is the first time in almost 30 years that the Connecticut National Guard has been activated for this kind of emergency in the state.
“The last time we had aerial drops of water was 1995,” said Maj. Gen. Francis Evon, adjutant general of the Connecticut National Guard. “We’re proud of Connecticut’s Home Team. Our members have trained to do this both here in the United States and overseas. They have stepped up and volunteered to come forward to assist our first responders.”
The Lamentation Mountain fire, more commonly referred to as the Hawthorne fire, is just one of 93 actively burning brush and wildfires across Connecticut, which is facing a severe drought.
“It’s the worst drought since we’ve been recording droughts, which goes back to 1905,” said Lamont. “That means that our state is a tinderbox. Everything is incredibly flammable. Anytime a dry leaf falls, it’s fuel for the flames.”
According to Berlin Fire Chief John Massirio, wildfires are fairly common in Connecticut, but they’re not used to the extremely dry conditions.
“Connecticut does have fires every year; it’s just never been to this drought index,” said Massirio. “From their investigation, it looks like this was not malicious by any means. It looks like someone was up there camping or hiking. Had a fire, put it out, and didn’t catch an ash and that’s what started the fire.”
Governor Lamont declared a state of emergency on Oct. 25, for the extreme drought and the lack of rain in the forecast for the foreseeable future.
“Over the last two months, Connecticut has experienced severely dry conditions and lack of rain, which has increased the threat of fire conditions and caused several fires to start throughout the state,” said Lamont. “The filing of this declaration will help provide state and local emergency management officials with the necessary tools to monitor and limit the threat of potential fires, respond to active fires, and respond to any additional fires that may start. We strongly urge all Connecticut residents to avoid outdoor burning as the current conditions pose a high risk of fire danger.”
The Connecticut National Guard’s firefighting assets were stood down on Nov. 1 after dropping 223 buckets, totaling nearly a quarter-million gallons of water. The on-ground personnel helped clear debris and put out spotfires along the mountain to contain its spread.
Although their mission is complete, the fires around the state still burn. Crews from as far away as Quebec, Canada and California have arrived to step in and battle the flames. However, with red flag warnings popping up across the state, the Connecticut Guard stands ready to assist again if called upon to help our communities.