SUFFIELD, CT — Connecticut environmental officials conducted a 70-acre prescribed burn along the Massachusetts border in Suffield Thursday morning, part of a broader effort to restore grassland bird habitats and reduce wildfire risk across the state.
This was the state’s second prescribed burn of the season.
Officials with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) said the conditions were just right to ignite targeted areas of dead grass inside a wildlife management zone.
“This is grass burning for bird habitats,” said Tom Trask, forest protection supervisor with DEEP. “Prescribed burning is a really good thing and it’s controlled, we do it safely, we notify everybody.”
The controlled fire supports nesting grounds for species such as the upland sandpiper, grasshopper sparrow, eastern meadowlark, and savannah sparrow—all of which rely on fresh, open grassland to breed.
About 40 professionals were on site to manage the fire.
Crews lit small areas and monitored the flames, using light winds to direct the fire across pre-burned strips, reducing the risk of uncontrolled spread.
“You won’t find the local fire department on site,” Trask noted. “It removes that excess fuel to allow for an even burn.”
This burn is one of six scheduled across Connecticut this spring. DEEP uses prescribed burns to manage underbrush, preserve native species, and improve forest safety by eliminating dry fuel that can trigger large-scale wildfires.
Trask pointed to similar burns in Massachusetts just over the border, where fresh grass has already begun to return.
He also acknowledged that while fire safety remains essential, history has shown that complete fire suppression came with consequences.
“We got too good at it,” he said. “Now we are kind of backtracking… prescribed burning is safe.”
Prescribed fire use predates Connecticut’s statehood, with DEEP acknowledging Indigenous practices that used burning to shape and maintain healthy ecosystems.
As Connecticut continues through its seasonal brush fire period, DEEP urges residents to remain vigilant.
“Be safe with fire, notify immediately if you come across a fire out of control,” Trask said.
