Firefight at Hawthorne resumes after setbacks

BERLIN, CT (WFSB) – Crews planned Friday to resume their work fighting the Hawthorne Fire in Berlin after minor setbacks Thursday evening.

At around 7 a.m., Channel 3 was expecting new information on how crews planned to fight the fire.

The fire continued to burn in parts of Lamentation Mountain on Friday; However, crews said they have plans in place to bring the problem under control.

Thousands of gallons of water were dumped on the mountain.

Crews used three Connecticut and Maine National Guard helicopters, as well as UTVs and bulldozers, to drop water in bulk.

The rotation of the helicopters was scheduled to continue on Friday morning.

Channel 3 was told about 120,000 gallons of water were spread over 107 acres.

Despite warnings and a no-fly zone over the area, crews said they encountered a major problem Thursday.

There were planes, drones and other vehicles and aircraft outside the mountain.

They said if that happens they would have to ground their own planes. This takes up valuable time needed to put out the fire.

Another issue Thursday was the fire’s proximity to Sea Green Drive.

However, emergency leaders said no evacuation order was necessary as of Friday morning.

“Residents should be confident that the current measures will ensure the safety of the area,” said Chief John Massirio of the Berlin Fire Department. “We’ll be back out there in the morning.”

Crews said the main goal was to saturate the ground to ensure it didn’t flare up.

Stay with Eyewitness News for continued coverage.

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