UPDATED: Controlled Burn Planned Friday at Nehantic State Forest in Lyme Postponed

LYME, CT (Updated 9:50 a.m., April 17) – Lyme Fire Company has advised residents the controlled burn planned for Friday at Nehantic State Forest has been postponed.

The fire company said the burn, originally scheduled to be conducted by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) from 8 a.m. to noon, was postponed by the state agency due to conditions. The next opportunity could be next week, according to the fire company.

Nehantic State Forest is included in DEEP’s annual program of controlled burns, which this season will take place in Stonington, Hampton, Mansfield, Windsor, Voluntown, Plainfield and Hartland. 

DEEP in a press release said the burn will cover about 18 acres. The goal is to restore the oak savanna habitat, which depends on fire to persist and will be managed on a recurring cycle every two to five years. The habitat was common before European settlement and was historically maintained by regular fires set by Indigenous people. 

Each burn will be led by DEEP’s Forestry Division with support from other trained staff. Burn areas will be closed during operations, signage will be posted, and smoke may be visible in surrounding communities.

DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said controlled burns also provide training opportunities for wildfire response teams and help strengthen coordination for large-scale fire events like the 127-acre fire on Berlin’s Lamentation Mountain in 2024.

DEEP said prescribed burns are conducted by its Forestry Division with support from other trained staff and local fire departments. Residents may see or smell smoke during operations, and burn areas are closed to the public while work is underway.

The date for the postponed burn will depend on weather and conditions.

The fire company said updates will be posted on the town website and on the Lyme Fire Company’s Facebook page.