On Oct. 31, students and faculty of Sacred Heart University received an email that both Fairfield and Bridgeport had issued a ban on all outdoor fires. This ban was introduced to align with the State of Emergency declared by the state of Connecticut, as well as the Red Flag Warnings issued by the National Weather Service.
“I made sure I got a message out to Sacred Heart University staff and students, especially those that live off campus, to make sure people are aware of the environmental changes we are experiencing currently. It is a fact that fires can start easily right now, and I wanted to make sure that everyone was aware that the state has a fire ban in place,” said Patrick Sasser, Fire Safety Coordinator at SHU.
AP News
Firefighters working to put out wildfires across the Northeast.
A Red Flag Warning from the National Weather Service indicates a high risk of wildfire due to a combination of warm temperatures, very low humidities and strong winds.
The low humidity comes as a result of the lack of rain that Connecticut has seen over the past two months.
As of Monday, Nov. 11, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) was monitoring 82 fires statewide, 12 of which were “either new or popped up in the last few days,” according to the CT Mirror.
Senior Cooper Burdette has an off-campus house in Bridgeport, where he lives during the school year, but his hometown is Southington, Conn.
“I usually grill outside a few times during the week, but since it has been so dry, I have resorted to cooking inside. There have been plenty of fires in Berlin [Conn.], which is very close to home, so I have been precautious, as I have seen my community affected,” Burdette said.
Berlin is about 40 miles from SHU. It was the location of the Hawthorne fire, one of the largest in the state at over 125 acres, according to NBC Connecticut.
“People enjoy sitting outside and lighting a fire on their patio around this time of year. It is important that people realize that they should stay away from doing this as we experience this time of high risk for fires breaking out,” said Sasser. “Public safety is also keeping an eye out for anyone who may be smoking to ensure cigarette butts aren’t getting thrown where they shouldn’t be. We are just trying to avoid any type of issue on campus.”
Connecticut residents are being urged to be attentive and diligent to activities in their daily lives.
“It is important that people do not park their cars on top of leaf piles because your exhaust systems, your engine and your catalytic converters underneath the cars get hot and could ignite the leaf piles. People also need to reduce water consumption by taking shorter showers, turning faucets off while brushing teeth and doing dishes,” Sasser said.
Sasser also noted how the lack of rain contributes to lower water levels in the reservoir and a lesser supply of water around the state.
“With the lack of rain, I believe it’s important for us to contribute to our environment. We should pay attention when cooking and making outdoor fires that could contribute to these wildfires,” said sophomore Alex Arrubla.
According to CT Public, as the drought continues, the wildfire season carries into the winter.
“There’s a saying that all fires eventually go out, but if they don’t subside naturally, I think the state of Connecticut is prepared for that to a certain extent. In more rural areas, especially, departments tend to train more on that type of firefighting,” Sasser said.
