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.

The West Hartford U12 Boys Travel Soccer team won the Fall 2024 Connecticut Cup on Nov. 2, 2024.

Submitted

The U12 Boys Travel Soccer team from West Hartford defeated Enfield 2-1 on Saturday, Nov. 2, winning the Connecticut Cup Championship for the second year in a row.

Nick Hunt, a student at King Philip Middle School, scored both goals for West Hartford. Keeper Dallas Dodge IV had eight saves to secure the win.

In the fall of 2023, as a U11 team, they also won the Connecticut Cup.

The team is now coached by Erik Ribeiro, with Terry Phillip as assistant coach.

he West Hartford U12 Boys Travel Soccer team won the fall 2024 Connecticut Cup. Courtesy photo

he West Hartford U12 Boys Travel Soccer team won the fall 2024 Connecticut Cup. Courtesy photo

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he West Hartford U12 Boys Travel Soccer team won the fall 2024 Connecticut Cup. Courtesy photo

The West Hartford U12 Boys Travel Soccer team won the fall 2024 Connecticut Cup. Courtesy photo

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Crews are tackling fires all across Connecticut as the current dry weather continues to play a role. This includes the large Hawthorne Fire in Berlin, which has been burning for nearly two weeks now.

As day 13 draws to a close at the Hawthorne Fire in Berlin, fire officials on scene say they’ve made good progress with crews tackling hotspots in the southeast part of Lamentation Mountain. The fire is holding steady at 127 acres burned. Officials say there are plans to scale back some operations to begin the mop-up phase and they’re optimistic about fully containing this fire.

“It’s showing solid progress and there’s still a little bit of work to do up there over the next week or so, but all in all, Hawthorne Drive is looking very good,” Chief Jonn Massirio with the Berlin Fire Dept. said.

The dry weather still contributing to conditions ripe for new fires to start. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection says it’s monitoring 107 fires across Connecticut. State officials saying there’s no weather relief coming yet.

“As this weather remains dry and windy, these fires are going to continue, and we will likely see this continue until we see some substantial rainfall,” Josh Cingranelli with the Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, said.

One significant fire burned about five acres at Rocky Neck Park in East Lyme on a hiking trail. DEEP says a contingent from the California Hotshots is there providing help with crews able to navigate the area to tackle any flames they see.

“They are fortunate enough to have the trail system down there at Rocky Neck that they’re using to help manage that fire,” James Fowler with DEEP said.

With the fire danger still present state-wide, they’re asking people to mitigate any risk around their homes or property.

“Clearing the leaf fall that has been coming down and making sure that your yard is clear of that type of debris,” Chief Massirio said.

Fire officials are still urging people to follow the state burn bans that are in place and asking people to not have open flames in their backyards.