(NEWINGTON—WTIC News) Expressing his appreciation for their effective work containing wildfires that plagued Connecticut last fall, Gov. Ned Lamont told dozens of firefighters, National Guard members and other emergency responders, “You’ve got our back, and we’ve got yours.”
He spoke on Friday at a ceremony held to honor more than 70 agencies for that response. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) says their work prevented major damage to homes and businesses as more than 200 fires broke out between late October and November, 2024.
Letters of commendation were presented to fire departments from Avon to Woodstock. Help also came from out of state (including the forest services of New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island) and across the Canadian border (Quebec Forest Service).
Much of their work was focused on the Hawthorne fire in Berlin, which broke out in October and burned more than 100 acres.
Berlin Fire Chief Jonn Massirio says the Hawthorne fire initially approached some homes after starting in the woods, apparently from an unextinguished campfire:
“Probably as close as 30 yards to structures, it was on a steep slope and when we first arrived, the fire had worked its way down the stope towards the neighborhood, known as the Sea Green/Hawthorne Drive neighborhood.
Structure protection was immediate.”
The fight was complicated and lengthy.
“The response to this fire was logistically challenging,” said Commissioner Katie Dykes of DEEP, “requiring a coordinated response on the ground as well as water drops from the air and ‘round-the-clock management for several weeks.”
Lamont also presented a flag to the family of Robert Sharkevich, Sr., the Wethersfield volunteer firefighter who died fighting the Hawthorne fire.
Attendees included Sophia Sharkevich, Robert’s mother. She turns 98 this weekend and said she appreciates the honor, adding, “I know he’s up there spiritually, and he’s listening to all our nice stories and all these people that knew of him.”
Robert and his brothers Gary and Steven all served in the Hartford Fire Department and two of their sons serve there now. Steven says they were all drawn to the lifestyle:
“It’s worldwide. The camaraderie and the bonding, it is just amazing, from local firehouses to out of the country.”
Dykes used the opportunity of the ceremony to warn Connecticut residents of the need to prevent new fires as generally dry conditions persist this spring, saying, “The majority of wildfires in Connecticut are caused by human actions, such as improper burning of debris and poor management of campfires, arson, careless discarding of wood ashes and placing motorized equipment on top of, or adjacent to, fire fuel.”