Firefighters battling the massive brush fire that consumed 130 acres of Schaghticoke Mountain in Kent had to deal with venomous timber rattlesnakes as they extinguished the flames.
The Kent Volunteer Fire Department shared video of a Timber rattlesnake they said “made its presence known” to a Goshen firefighter. That was just one of more than a dozen reports of snakes.
Timber rattlesnakes are one of the two venomous species found in Connecticut. The other is the northern copperhead.
According to the Kent Volunteer Fire Department, hospitals in Sharon and New Milford have anti-venom in the event it is needed.
In addition to rattlesnakes, firefighters had to deal with 90-degree heat during Connecticut's first heatwave of the year.
Officials said the fire was contained as of noon Friday and the rain Thursday night helped.
While battling the brush fire, four firefighters were injured, including two with heat exhaustion, who were treated and released at scene. Two of them went to the emergency room, including one for a back injury and one with a hand injury that required stitches.
Seventeen volunteer fire companies and Connecticut and New York state agencies, along with area agencies, assisted with putting out the fire.
It’s not clear what caused the blaze.
