A brush fire has consumed about 40 acres at Devil’s Hopyard State Park in East Haddam and officials from the state Department of Energy & Environmental Protection have issued tips for residents to prevent the fires.
- Make a fire safe zone around your house. Clean flammable vegetation and debris from at least 30 feet around the house and any outbuildings.
- Prune away the lower limbs of evergreens that are within the fire safe zone. Evergreens catch fire easily during dry periods and burn quickly.
- Remove any limbs that hang over the roof or chimney.
- Regularly removing leaves and needles from gutters.
- Use fire-resistant roofing materials.
- Make sure firefighters can find and access your home. Mark your house and roads clearly and prune away limbs and trees along your driveway which do not allow fire truck access.
- Have an escape plan and practice it.
- Follow state and local open burning laws.
- Stay with outside fires until they are completely safe and dead out.
- Dispose of wood ashes in a metal bucket and soak them with water before dumping them.
If you use Connecticut’s parks, forests, and open spaces, use fires with caution and follow these recommendations:
- Obey local laws regarding open fires, including campfires.
- Keep all flammable objects away from fire.
- Have firefighting tools nearby and handy.
- Carefully dispose of hot charcoal.
- Drown all fires
- Extinguish smoking materials with caution.
For more information on fire safety, contact DEEP’s Forestry Division at (860) 424-3630.
