State park and wildlife refuge closed as teams monitor wildfires in East Lyme

EAST LYME, Conn. (WFSB) – Crews are monitoring hotspots at several wildfires in East Lyme.

On a warm, beautiful November day, the beach at Rocky Neck State Park is empty.

Cones block the entrance as firefighters keep an eye on 44 acres that could start burning again.

“I walked outside at about 6:30 this morning and I couldn’t believe it, it was so smoky,” said John Ford of East Lyme.

Ford lives in the Giants Neck neighborhood east of Rocky Neck.

He says that after the first fire this weekend, the smoke has subsided until today.

“I really felt like the fire was right next to me,” Ford said.

Emergency crews from across the country, even from Canada, helped put out the fire. Some are still in the park, looking for hotspots.

The smoke could be seen for miles.

Trails are closed throughout the city at the Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve.

There were two fires there in just two weeks.

“They got puddles of water, threw them into the ravine, climbed up the ledge and dumped water there,” said Mary-Jean Dunn of East Lyme.

Dunn remembers the first fire near her home on October 29th. The second fire occurred last Tuesday.

“This one was further away, but all the smoke came here because of the wind,” she said.

Greg Decker is with the Friends of Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve.

On Thursday, he put up signs donated by Fast Signs of Waterford to keep people off the trails.

“Fire trucks went out this morning to pack up the hoses. “We are in the process of blocking off all entrances to keep people out as the risk of another fire is high,” Decker said.

If you look at the damage, the paths are pretty much ruined. Firefighters had to cut down trees and dig the fire underground to prevent it from flaring up again.

“I’ve been here 29 years and this is something extraordinary,” Dunn said.

There is no information on when any of the parks will reopen.

DEEP reminds residents of the statewide burn ban.

There is a “Red Flag” warning for the entire state.

Factors include our continued drought, the intrusion of drier air and a gusty wind.

This means that if a fire were to break out, it would spread quickly and be difficult to contain.

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