Assistant Director of Public Safety Kathy Burdick issued a fire safety warning on Monday, Oct. 28, circulating a statement from the Middletown Fire Department. The email notified the University of extremely high fire danger and of proximity to a large wildfire in Connecticut. This message came after Governor of Connecticut Ned Lamont announced a State of Emergency beginning on Saturday, Oct. 26 due to dry conditions across the state. These conditions produced the Hawthorne Wildfire on Lamentation Mountain, currently burning over 120 acres.
“Due to extremely high fire danger in our area, and the proximity of one of Connecticut’s largest wildfires, all open burning is strictly prohibited in Middletown until further notice,” the message from the Middletown Fire Department and Fire Safety read.
Manager of Fire Safety and Facilities Administration Chris Cruz cited multiple causes for the increased fire risk including lack of rain, poor vegetation management, human activity, and rising temperatures due to climate change.
“Prolonged dry spells, low humidity, and high temperatures create an environment where vegetation becomes highly flammable,” Cruz wrote in an email to The Argus.
Fire permits will no longer be issued for outdoor events. The City of Middletown released a statement specifying the types of fire burning that are specifically banned.
“[The ban] includes leaf burning, use of fire pits, and outdoor grilling,” the statement read.
Wesleyan’s Department of Fire Safety worked with the Middletown Fire Department to inform the Wesleyan community on the dangers of burning during a high-risk period. The announcements were particularly necessary, as the school had an influx of visitors for Homecoming + Family Weekend. The outdoor grilling ban for the Homecoming game was publicized to attendees so that tailgaters could prepare other grill-free food options.
“The no grilling this year at the tailgating definitely made for a different environment than last year, but it seemed as though each tent still had catered hot food,” Ben Bodle ’27 wrote in a message to The Argus. “For example, at our golf tent, we had hot pizza along with hot coffee and deli sandwiches.”
Students were warned to safely dispose of smoking materials to prevent fires. The fire safety warning will continue indefinitely.
“According to our local fire chief, Dave Albert, we do not know when the warning will be lifted,” Cruz wrote. “It will take a significant amount of rain to change this warning.”
Student groups will continue to adjust to the restrictions placed on them by the ban. Prometheus, a fire dancing collective, has faced cancellations and restrictions on rehearsal spaces.
“We had three planned performances, but we were suddenly made aware that this wasn’t going to happen,” Prometheus member Caius Boynton ’27 said. “The captains are working with the administration to figure out if we can make it work. But as of right now, it’s indefinite.”
Anabel Goode can be reached at agoode@wesleyan.edu.
Kiran Eastman can be reached at kbleakneyeas@wesleyan.edu.