Municipal burn bans in place across Connecticut and New York
Alec Linden

Municipal burn bans in place across Connecticut and New York

“The little bit of rain we got overnight won’t put a dent in this,” said Kent Fire Marshall Timothy Limbos about the light showers that fell on the Northwest Corner on the night of Oct. 29.

Historically dry conditions persist across much of the Northeast, prompting officials in many municipalities to prohibit outdoor fires of any kind. As of Nov. 5, Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection lists all counties in the state as facing “extreme” fire danger, while New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation classifies the southern part of the state as under “high” fire risk, with northern and western regions under “moderate” and “low” designations.

In his 20 years as public information officer for Norfolk, Jon Barbagallo has never seen fire conditions as perilous as those that have developed this fall. “Fires happen every year in Connecticut, we just don’t see them to the extent that we see them now,” Barbagallo said.

On Oct. 25, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont declared a State of Emergency due to the critical fire conditions as the dry weather continues.

The National Weather Service predicts little to no rain over the next week for the region alongside unseasonably warm temperatures.

“It may stay this way for a while,” said Cornwall First Selectman Gordon Ridgway, who is also a volunteer firefighter. “The woods are much more volatile with the leaves on the ground,” he said, indicating that the recently fallen foliage has added another fuel source to the tinder-dry forest floor.

On Oct. 30, Ridgway issued a burn ban for the town of Cornwall, joining many other municipalities in the region that have placed similar restrictions. All Litchfield County towns except Hartland have declared burn bans as of Nov. 1 according to an NBC Connecticut Report, and the environmental protection department has imposed a burn ban on all state parks, forests, and wildlife management areas. In New York, the towns of Hillsdale, North East, Pine Plains, Amenia, Stanford, and Washington have also enacted emergency burn bans, barring all outdoor fire activity and nulling burn permits while the order is in place.

North East Town Supervisor Chris Kennan said in a public communication on Nov. 1 that “the town of North East, along with all the other towns around us, has issued an order prohibiting outdoor burning,” which will remain in effect until further notice.

In her Oct. 25 announcement, Stanford Town Supervisor Wendy Burton urged residents to keep their neighbors and first responders in mind as the unusual weather conditions continue. “Let’s protect our community and firefighters,” she said in the notice.

Legislators and fire officials were careful to drive in the message before holiday excitement distracted residents from the danger. “Please do not have any campfires during the Halloween festivities,” Limbos said.

A red flag warning was issued again for all of Connecticut and the lower Hudson Valley on Friday, Nov. 1, following an Oct. 26 red flag warning for all of southern New England. The warnings are short-notice alerts meant to notify fire officials that conditions are highly conducive to wildfire ignition and rapid spread, and are rare in the Northeast.

As of Nov. 3, the environmental protection department identifies two active fires in Connecticut, the fire burning on Lamentation Mountain in Berlin known as the Hawthorne fire, and a smaller blaze in Lebanon which is managed. The organization is also monitoring 95 fires across all regions of the state.

“It’s really good that this region has mutual aid,” Ridgway said.

Barbagallo is a testament to the collaborative nature of Connecticut’s response force, having been part of the Incident Command Post at the Hawthorne Fire since the Post was activated on Oct. 22.

Barbagallo said he was helping plan the wake and funeral for Wethersfield firefighter Robert Sharkevich Sr., who died while combating the Hawthorne Fire on Oct. 22, when he got a call that a car accident had ignited two brush fires on Route 44 in Norfolk. “I left the meeting that evening to go to Norfolk when I heard how big they were getting,” he said.

The Route 44 fires, which were caused by downed electrical wires, were extinguished after two hours, but their rapid growth left an impression on Barbagallo: “It really shows how dry the conditions are across the state.”

A swath stretching across the entire northern border of Connecticut, as well as a corner of Fairfield County, is currently experiencing “moderate drought” (D1) conditions, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System, a subsidiary of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The area comprises 13.8% of the state’s land area and includes approximately 400,000 residents. The rest of the state is categorized as “abnormally dry” (D0) by the drought information system, alongside most of southern New York.

A small area surrounding the tri-state border in New York is also experiencing moderate drought.

NIDIS predicts that drought will persist in areas already experiencing D1 conditions in the region through November, and that drought conditions will continue to develop in D0 zones.

Until substantial rainfall arrives, Barbagallo asks residents to “be respectful of the guidance from the state and the local fire department.”

“We’re going to be the ones who have to put [the fires] out,” he said.

Latest News

Family Services’ new building will accommodate child behavior service

POUGHKEEPSIE — New mental health care access is coming to Northern Dutchess County as the demand for mental health services has been increasing.

Family Services Inc., an outpatient mental health clinic, has outgrown their facility, which was located at Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck. Now, the incorporation is upgrading to a much larger location in Rhinebeck that is expected to open late this year.

Keep ReadingShow less
Planning Board hears Cumberland Farms wastewater treatment plan

Cumberland Farms gas station on Route 343 in downtown Amenia.

Photo by Nathan Miller

AMENIA — Expanding the capacity for wastewater handling at the Cumberland Farms site along Route 343, the Planning Board at its regular meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 12, discussed the plans and referred the project on to Dutchess County officials for decision.

Representing Cumberland Farms was Caryn Mlodzianowski, project engineer for Bohler Engineering of Albany, specialists in engineering challenging sites.

Keep ReadingShow less
North East talks fire aid, taxes, cell towers and more at board meeting

MILLERTON — The Town of North East held a board meeting on Thursday, Feb. 13, to create a “memorandum of understanding” contract between the Village of Millerton and the town, explaining how the town will assist the village after its Highway and Water Department building caught fire on Feb. 3.

“The resolution authorizes the town superintendent of highways to assist the Village of Millerton and its highway department with plowing, repair and maintenance of the village highways,” supervisor Chris Kennan said. “Pursuant to provisions of section 142e of the Highway Law, during the period of the Village’s state of emergency.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Village board weighs impact of garage fire; discusses sidewalk work

Village of Millerton offices on Route 22

John Coston

MILLERTON — On Monday, Feb. 10, a board meeting was held, largely centered on the impact of the Feb. 3 fire that destroyed the Village Water and Highway building located on Route 22. In addition to the loss of the building, vehicles, equipment and tools were also destroyed.

“If we go back to the cause, it is still undetermined,” said mayor Jenn Najdek, who stated foul play had been ruled out. She also confirmed the garage remained off-limits as the investigation is still ongoing.

Keep ReadingShow less