Westport Firefighters Contend With 2 Brush Fires

Westport CT

07 April, 2021

6:55 PM

Description

WESTPORT, CT — Westport firefighters doused a pair of separate brush fires Wednesday, one of which spread Parsell Lane into Fairfield, requiring firefighters from that community to respond also. The Parsell Lane blaze, which started in the marsh between the road and Interstate 95, required a total of 30 firefighters from the two departments to extinguish. In all, the fire burned approximately 3.5 acres and took two hours to douse, but no injuries or property damage were reported. Seven fire engines and a ladder truck responded to the scene. The second fire, which was near the Sherwood Island Connector, was discovered by a Westport fire inspector and quickly extinguished by a single fire engine. The causes of both fires are under investigation, but according to Westport fire officials, Connecticut traditionally experiences high forest fire danger in the spring from the middle of March through May. "With little rainfall in the last weeks and low relative humidity, the fire danger has been 'High' or 'Very High' the previous week," officials said. "Forest fire danger levels are classified as low, moderate, high, very high, or extreme. In an average year, approximately 500 acres of Connecticut woodland are burned by forest and brush fires. If you spot a brush fire, remain calm and dial 911 to report the fire as quickly as possible to your local fire department. Calmly tell the emergency dispatcher when and where you saw it. Stay on the telephone until the dispatcher tells you to hang up."