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New Canaan Fire Marshal: Brush Fire Danger This Summer [VIDEO]

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Wildfires are any unplanned fires that burn in forests and other wild lands such as shrubs or grass communities. They are a powerful force we must understand and respect in order to best help control them. Nearly 9 out of 10 wildfires nationwide are caused by humans and could have been prevented. 

The video above from Saturday July 30, 2022 is a fire on the westbound shoulder of Route I84 between exit 6 & 7. The fire was most likely caused by a lit cigarette thrown out of a car window. Due to the wind and the dry conditions the Forest Fire Danger level in Connecticut has been high for most of the summer.

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Fire Marshal: Two Brush Fires Over Weekend

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This past weekend, New Canaan experienced two brush fires, the first was at Bristow Sanctuary on Old Stamford Road. This was caused by a small campfire that got out of control due to gusting winds. The second was at a residence on Valley Road. This fire was caused by a resident burning brush that again got out of control due to the gusting winds. While campfires are not permitted in Bristow Sanctuary at any time, the New Canaan Fire Department was not issuing open burning permits due to the high forest fire danger.

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Fire Marshal on Residential Oil Tanks and Oil System Maintenance

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The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection recommends that homeowners play an active role in ensuring that their oil system is properly maintained on an annual basis. They also give helpful tips on how to evaluate the health of their oil system. Residential home heating oil tanks can be found:

In a home’s basement
Outside, above ground, near the house
Buried in close proximity to the house

Annual Service; service boiler, oil line and visual inspection of the tank. Indoor tanks rust from the inside out. Insure oil lines have a protective sleeve 
Inspect tank legs for damage
Check for leaks at filters and valves, look for drips
Examine gauge for leaks and cracks
Check the condition of the oil tank.

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Barn Destroyed in Predawn Fire Monday on Silvermine Road

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A two-story barn in New Canaan was lost in a predawn fire Monday, officials say. The horses kept in the barn at 407 Silvermine Road already had been let out into a pasture and were not injured in the blaze, according to New Canaan Interim Fire Chief Albert Bassett. 

Firefighters were alerted by a call at approximately 4:48 a.m. from a worker at the New Canaan Mounted Troop, which is located nearby, Bassett said. A second alarm went out at 4:56 a.m., dispatch records show. The barn included stalls downstairs and a hayloft upstairs “and it was fully involved when we got there,” Bassett said. “It was already a loss when we arrived,” he said.

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New Canaan Fire Marshal on Home Heating Equipment Safety

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There have been two deadly fires in the northeast in the past month. The first being a Philadelphia row house fire in which 12 people were killed. The fire was most likely started when a 5-year-old boy ignited a Christmas tree with a lighter. 

The second fire, a week ago Sunday in the Bronx, N.Y., in which 17 people were killed, was caused by a space heater that was either faulty or improperly used. The death and injuries in this fire were the result of smoke inhalation. The reason for the smoke spread was that doors were left open or did not close properly.