MILFORD -- Silver Sands State Park is set to reopen Friday, although certain areas will have restricted public access due to the structure fire earlier this week.
The immediate area around three buildings that ignited in a raging inferno Tuesday, March 19 was fenced off and covered in "Danger, Keep Out" signs. The drop-off area adjacent to the devastated structures will also remain blocked off until further notice.
The main parking lot will stay open and accessible through the beach service road beginning Friday, March 22. Portions of the boardwalk leading to the beach will stay closed due to the ongoing construction, but most areas of the beach and boardwalk will stay open to the public.
The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection responded to the site Wednesday to assess the environmental impact of the massive blaze after devastating a $10 million renovation project, years in the making. While a small amount of charred debris was located outside off-site, the bulk of destroyed materials was contained within the construction site's established boundaries.
Additionally, environmental investigators didn't detect a petroleum sheen in the run-off or along the shoreline. As a new building building that emphasized environmentally friendly construction materials and practices, the site was found not to pose any significant risks to human health or the environment.
Meanwhile, the DEEP EnCon Police are continuing their investigation. They expect to new findings to be revealed once the Connecticut State Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit finishes their own report in the coming weeks.