BERLIN, Conn. — Though dozens of firefighters are working to contain the brush fire on Lamentation Mountain in Berlin, it may not be fully extinguished for another month if the strong winds and lack of rain continue.
Leaders from the Berlin Fire Department, Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection, and State Division of Emergency Management provided an update Wednesday morning on the efforts to contain the brush fire that started on the mountain Monday.
The plan for Wednesday is to test the hand-dug dirt box firefighters made to contain the fire. Officials said the wind speeds will test that box's integrity.
As of Wednesday morning, an estimated 125 acres burned parts of Berlin and Meriden in the brush fire. That number will change as officials map out the ongoing fire. Around 30 firefighters are working on the fire, and 40 municipal firefighters are providing support.
The Connecticut National Guard is also on standby to bring up Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters to spray water over the fire if the winds cooperate with the pilots.
"I need a couple inches of rain...we are in Western U.S. territory dry right now," said Michael Kronick, the Fire Control Officer for the Western District of Connecticut's DEEP.
He said it has not rained, at least heavily, in the state since the deadly floods that hit Oxford and Southbury in August. No rain in the forecast can mean a long fire season in Connecticut, Kronick added.
Kronick also warned that "any spark is going to cause a fire" with these extremely dry conditions, and urged people to avoid using the grill or doing construction work that could cause sparks.
Fire crews continue to work to get the job done, even after Wethersfield volunteer firefighter Robert Sharkevich Sr. died in a UTV crash Tuesday afternoon while on a part of the mountain with rough terrain.
"The firefighter community, it's strong. The mentality, it's hard to keep a lot of the guys away after something like this. They want to finish the job." said Berlin fire Lt. John Massirio. "They want to do it to honor those that we've lost. But it's important for us to recognize that when there is a separation needed, we handle that appropriately."
Officials said that a majority of the crews who worked on the mountain Tuesday are not there Wednesday and that there are stress debriefing teams and resources available to the firefighters.
The Berlin Fire Marshal's Office and Connecticut State Police have started to investigate the cause and origin of the brush fire.
Officials will provide another update Wednesday afternoon.
Leah Myers is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at LMyers@fox61.com
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