Governor Ned Lamont has declared a state of emergency due to weather conditions that pose a high risk of fire.

With no forecast of rain in Connecticut for at least the next seven to ten days, the governor said he is “strongly urging all Connecticut residents to avoid any type of outdoor burning as the current conditions pose a high risk of fire danger.”

Firefighters continue to battle a brush fire in the town of Berlin on Lamentation Mountain. That blaze is now called the Hawthorne Fire, named for the road where it is believed to have originated. Other smaller fires are reported in various parts of the state.

Mr. Lamont said the emergency 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.”

FEMA assistance

Earlier today, Governor Lamont announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved his request for a grant to support the state and local response to the Hawthorne Fire.

FEMA’s Fire Management Assistance Grant program provides a 75 percent reimbursement of eligible costs incurred by emergency response to fires where the cost exceeds $330,000.

Mr. Lamont said the state’s costs have exceeded that threshold, largely due to the expense of deploying aircrew from the Connecticut National Guard and its UH-60 Blackhawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters to conduct water drops at the site.

“This is one of the most significant brush fires Connecticut has experienced in recent memory,” said the governor. He added that it is the first time Connecticut has received a FEMA Fire Management Assistance grant.

Related Story:

October 23, 2024:  Red Flag Fire Warning Issued