Crews work to contain Hawthorne fire as challenging conditions persist

Authorities say there are potentially more challenges coming up this week and it could be months before the state is really out of the woods when it comes to the fire danger.

“We’re just trying to keep the residents of Connecticut safe,” said Rich Schenk, the fire control officer for the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Burn bans are still in place as the state deals with dozens of fires.

A few new ones popped up on Sunday bringing the total to 111 being tracked statewide.

“Without rain, the ground is getting drier. The leaves, it’s like walking on potato chips out there,” Schenk said.

Firefighters are battling a fire in Rocky Neck State Park that has burned about 46 acres.

The park remains closed for public safety.

At the largest blaze in the state – the Hawthorne Fire in Berlin – there is promising news.

“We’re going to transition into more from the mop up phase to more of a patrol phase throughout this week,” said Chief Jonn Massirio, of the Berlin Volunteer Fire Department.

The fire is now considered 50% contained after scorching 127 acres.

But the coming days could bring warmer temperatures, gustier winds, and more red flag warnings.

“We’re still going to keep our guard up. They’re not gonna, you know, put our heads down. Still got to be vigilant. Across the state. Conditions still persist to be dry,” Massirio said.

Crews from outside the state have been called in to help. They could be here until December or January.

“We’re going to need some kind of weather pattern that changes what we’re in until we get some southern moisture coming up. I want to plan for the worst case scenario so that the state’s prepared and I don’t want to be caught shorthanded,” Schenk said.

At least at the Hawthorne Fire, crews are hopeful the fire containment can be increased this week.