Open burning activities have been suspended for property owners and municipalities. Fire danger levels will remain very high until a significant rainfall occurs and rain is not expected over the next several days. The Department of Environmental Protection is urging Connecticut residents and visitors to use extreme caution with campfires until the fire danger level drops significantly. Connecticut is experiencing warm, breezy days with low humidity. This is great weather for people to spend time outdoors, spring cleaning around their homes or enjoying recreational activities.
Fire can travel very quickly and damage property and structures.
Open burning permits issued by local open burning officials are not valid if the fire danger levels are at these levels. Connecticut traditionally experiences high forest fire danger in the Spring from mid-March through May. DEP's Division of Forestry constantly monitors the danger of forest fire to help protect Connecticut's 1.8 million acres of forested land. Throughout the Spring forest fire season DEP sends daily advisories on forest fire danger levels to DEP's State Park and Forest field staff, municipalities, fire departments and the media. Forest fire danger levels are classified at low, moderate, high, very high or extreme. Fire danger is determined by using weather data, rainfall accumulation, temperature, current moisture, humidity conditions and weather predictions.