Berlin bushfires: Progress reported as helicopters join fight

BERLIN, CT – With help from the air, progress has been reported in battling a massive wildfire on Lamentation Mountain in Berlin after the third day of fighting, firefighters said.

On the night of Wednesday to Thursday morning, the Berlin Volunteer Fire Department released another update on the fire entitled “The Hawthorne Fire.”

According to the Berlin Volunteer Fire Department, two Connecticut National Guard helicopters took part in the operations on Wednesday and helped extinguish the flames from above Lamentation Mountain.

Fire officials said ground firefighters held ranks while battling the fire Wednesday morning and took over aerial operations in the afternoon.

The BVFD released video images of National Guard helicopters collecting and transporting huge buckets of water from nearby Silver Lake to put out the burning brush.

Flight operations were expected to resume on Thursday, compounded by light rain that, while unlikely to make a difference, did not harm firefighting efforts.

“Ground teams will continue to coordinate with air resources and work to establish, improve and maintain control lines will resume,” the BVFD said in a statement.

The firefighters also managed to obtain a more precise assessment of the affected area.

Previous reports put the number of acres burned at 100 to 125 acres, but the BVFD said overnight that those numbers are now closer to 65 to 70 acres.

However, these estimates could rise, according to BVFD, as they reported a fire igniting overnight on the southern edge.

Meanwhile, fire officials said Silver Lake, the state boat launch there and Norton Lane were closed to the public as part of the battle.

The public is urged to stay away from these locations and the fire scene itself.

“The temporary flight restriction remains in effect,” the BVFD wrote. “Drones and aircraft are not allowed to enter the airspace in and around the fire area.”

The flight restrictions clear the way for helicopters, with firefighting helicopter units from Maine also reportedly being discussed.

However, it was not clear whether the Maine units had arrived or would be deployed, as Connecticut National Guard helicopters were in action on Wednesday.

Since the fire began, fire officials have repeatedly stated that no evacuations from nearby homes are necessary and that the fire is adequately contained, regarding any potential threats to nearby homes/property.

The fire continues to only affect uninhabited areas.

Meanwhile, firefighters are urging people in the area not to burn and to be careful. They add that other small bushfires have also been reported, including one nearby that set a hectare of land ablaze.

“City of Berlin and City of Meriden resources were immediately dispatched to the area and the fire was brought under control without issue,” the BVFD said. “The additional fires had no impact on operations at the Hawthorne Fire and extreme caution is advised until weather conditions improve.”

It's been a chaotic week for several area fire departments, one filled with concern and tragedy.

The first reports of the fire were received from residents at Lamentation Mountain State Park in Berlin/Meriden on Monday evening around 5:44 p.m.

Other units fighting the fire include firefighters from the Berlin Fire Department and the forest fire department of the State Ministry for Energy and Environmental Protection. In addition, firefighters from Newington, Wethersfield, Rocky Hill, Cromwell, Westfield and Meriden are also helping.

Sadly, one of the emergency responders died in the battle earlier this week.

66-year-old Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department firefighter Robert Sharkevich Sr. died Tuesday after a WVVFD utility vehicle designed specifically to fight wildfires overturned while fighting the blaze late Tuesday afternoon.