Warning In Effect for Possible Forest Fires Today

The National Weather Service has issued a “red flag” warning today to Connecticut residents to be wary of forest and brush fires starting up.

The warning remains in effect from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, March 28, throughout most of the state including New Haven County — where Naugatuck is located. The warning, also referred to as a “high” alert, means that both forest and brush fires have a higher probability of starting due to impacts of the current weather patterns - particularly the combination of winds and low humidity.

Naugatuck Fire Chief Kenneth Hanks takes it as a warning to borough residents to be wary of brush fires starting and to refrain from open burning outside.

“On a windy day, stuff that is damp on the surface dries out really quick,” Hanks said. “If we were to get a brush fire today it’d be a surface fire, and it can move relatively fast.”

The Department of Environmental Protection urges residents to take precaution and to adhere to forest fire prevention tips.

The fire chief said the Naugatuck Fire Department has had a “history” of brush fires on Hunters Mountain, where it has battled fires that have increased to as high as 20-30 acres at a time. Even though temperatures remain low today, reaching 43 degrees according to the weather service, Hanks said that doesn’t always stop brush fires from starting.

“I’ve done brush fires with snow on the ground,” he said.

The fire chief encourages borough residents that are conducting open burning outside be cautions of brush fires from starting.