Forest fire danger ‘high’ to ‘very high’ in Connecticut, state officials say

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's division of forestry issued a forest fire danger rating on Monday of "high" to "very high" across the state.

The combination of dry and breezy weather led to that high rating.

Even though we are not in a drought, September has been quite dry.

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So far, the shoreline has received only a quarter inch of rain, over two and a half inches below normal. But you'll notice we are still running seven inches above normal for the year. Only three-tenths of an inch of rain has fallen farther inland.

That's almost three inches below normal for the month, but Bradley International still has a surplus (if you will)—almost four and a half to five inches above normal for the year.

Of course, if you live in the Oxford, Southbury, or Monroe areas—you've had enough rain to last through the rest of the year!

Wind is also an issue. It's the most important factor in determining the forest fire danger rating. That breeze will dry everything out and cause a brush or forest fire to spread rapidly.

You should know that even if you have a permit to burn, you cannot do it on days when the forest fire danger rating is high, very high, or extreme, and you are burning within 100 feet of a grassland or woodland.

If you see a brush fire, call 9-1-1 immediately.

See the daily fire rating on DEEP's website .