Lack of rain, resulting in severely dry conditions that increase the chances of fire, are behind Gov. Ned Lamont declaring a state of emergency.
“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 state,” Lamont said in the release dated Oct. 25.
Over the past two weeks, there have been several fires in Bristol, one that destroyed a garage and damaged nearby homes and cars, and another off Mountain Road.
The Hawthorne Fire on Lamentation Mountain in Berlin has been burning for eight days. One firefighter, Robert Sharkevich, Sr., lost his life battling the blaze, when a utility vehicle he was operating over steep terrain overturned.
The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning on Monday for Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
The warning indicates that critical fire weather conditions are expected or are occurring.
A Red Flag warning restricts outdoor burning of any kind, including fire pits, grills and campfires.
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