A Busy Summer for the Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew  

CIFC crew on assignment in Minnesota, August 2026. Photo Credit: James Bryan. 

Although fire danger remained relatively moderate in Connecticut over the summer of 2026, the Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew (CIFC) had a busy summer responding to wildfire emergencies nationally and in Canada.  

Crew members included a mix of full-time DEEP staff and trained “call-when-needed” wildland firefighters who are certified to national wildland firefighting standards. Crew members must complete a rigorous training program and participate in an annual physical capacity test and refresher training.

Richard Schenk, DEEP Fire Control Officer, shared a message he received from a
crew on the front lines. “The communities directly affected by wildfire are very
appreciative. It is humbling to see how many people, despite losing homes, property,
and even loved ones, still take the time to visit fire camps across the country simply to
say thank you.”

Over the summer, CIFC deployed 43 wildland firefighters to support national and Canadian wildfire efforts. Assignments last up to 21 days, and the CIFC crews join other international and local crews to perform various duties, including direct wildfire suppression, engine crew, and safety officer, among others. Wildfire response continues as the summer season comes to a close.

Summer 2026 CIFC deployments included:

July 10: 20-person crew to Oregon 
July 15: 6-person crew to Quebec
July 27: 4-person crew to Minnesota
August 8: 4-person crew to Minnesota
August 11: 10-person crew to Minnesota
August 21: 3-person crew to Minnesota

In addition to crews, individuals were deployed for specialized roles, such as air base radio operator. "These deployments not only provided critical assistance to the communities across the United States and beyond, but they also gave Connecticut's wildland firefighters invaluable real-world experience that strengthened their preparedness here at home," said Acting DEEP Commissioner Emma Cimino. "We are grateful to every firefighter who volunteered for these assignments."

Due to our climate and forest composition, Connecticut has historically had fewer wildfires than many western states.  However, wildfire remains a significant threat in Connecticut, and wildfire patterns are changing as wildfire risk increases due to longer, more frequent droughts, rising temperatures, and increased fuel from tree mortality caused by pests and pathogens. 

Connecticut is more likely to experience wildfires in the spring and fall, when leaves are off the trees, and sunlight dries the forest floor rapidly. A drought in 2016 led to a sharp increase in wildfires and a spongy moth outbreak. Although 2024's annual wildfire total does not stand out as unusual, most of the wildfires reported that year occurred during September and October due to significant drought. The 127-acre Hawthorne Fire in Berlin/Meriden was one of over 600 additional wildfires that occurred during those two months. The intense 2024 wildfire season sparked a civil wildfire emergency, and Connecticut called for support from crews from Maine, Canada, New York, and other states. 

Just under 100% of wildfires in Connecticut are human-caused, sparked by fireworks, debris burning, campfires, cigarettes, and equipment. 

As we enter the fall wildfire season, you can reduce the risk of wildfire: 

1. Know the forest fire danger rating before you burn.  
2. Follow all burn restrictions and local bans. Local open burning permits are not valid if the forest fire danger is rated high, very high, or extreme. 
3. Use caution with sparks, flames, and combustible materials, including outdoor fires, home heating ash, machinery and equipment, fireworks, and cigarettes. Completely extinguish any fire by using Smokey Bear’s “drown, stir, drown, feel” method.
4. Prepare your home for a possible wildfire. Learn more from the National Fire Protection Association.

How Healthy is Your Woodland? 

A maple-birch-beech stand in Meshomasic State Forest. Credit: Nate Piche. 

Head to the woods and look for these signs of forest health.

1. Diverse species: Look for many different types of plants and wildlife. Invasive plants greatly reduce species diversity - keep an eye out! 
    
2. Trees of all ages: Long-lasting forests must have healthy trees of all ages. Look for tree seedlings (close to the ground), saplings (up to baseball-bat width), poles (up to telephone-pole width), and mature trees (the largest). 
    
3. Complex structure: Are there shaded areas alongside sunny gaps? How about standing and fallen dead trees? Are there multiple tree height levels? All of those are needed to support a healthy forest system. 
    
4. Healthy trees: Trees are adapted to survive many of the fungi, bacteria, insects, and environmental threats that they are exposed to, but some threats can severely affect forest health. Look for overall patterns of death or slow growth, visible malformities, dead branches, or trees that do not conform to seasonal norms, i.e., leaves dropping in the summer.  

Think your woods might need a little help? Learn more about common forest health issues in Connecticut. Contact your Service Forester or Urban and Community Forester to learn how you can help. 

Celebrating National Forest Products Week in Connecticut 

In 2023, the total economic contribution of the forest sector reached 14,526 jobs and $4.97 billion in output.  

National Forest Products Week, October 18-24, is a great time to take stock of locally sourced forest products available in Connecticut. 

Home Construction Products: Red oak and white oak are two of the most common and economically valuable trees harvested in the state. Local businesses use oak and other locally grown wood to make cabinets, flooring, and other home-construction-related products.  

Witch Hazel Products: Connecticut leads the market on witch hazel products. Native witch hazel is abundant in Connecticut, particularly in our plentiful oak-hickory forests. Witch hazel is usually hand-harvested and involves partnerships with private and public landowners.     

Maple Syrup: Although we are on the southernmost edge of the sugar maple range in New England, we still make some great syrup! The Maple Syrup Producers Association of CT provides a useful map of local sugarhouses.   

Paperboard Packaging: Often overlooked, paperboard packaging is a forest product used in our everyday lives. Since the mid-1800's, Connecticut has been home to several specialized packaging plants that manufacture folding cartons, corrugated cardboard, and shipping containers.  

With funding from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, DEEP's Division of Forestry established a statewide Wood Utilization Team to bolster awareness and utilization of Connecticut's wood resources. Members of this group include representatives from public and private sectors who work with Connecticut's forests and forest products industry. One goal of this group is to create a website where wood products producers and utilizers can connect and learn more about Connecticut's wood products economy. 

The CT Grown Forest Products and Primary Producers Map will help you find locally sourced wood products and producers. 

The CT Grown Forest Products program provides information about locally sourced forest products. 

Share Your Thoughts on Urban Forestry

The National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC) has released the draft Ten-Year Action Plan, which creates a guiding framework for the field of urban and community forestry. The Ten-Year Action Plan also drives federal funding priorities for Urban and Community Forestry. We invite you to review the draft plan and share your comments before the public comment period closes on December 4, 2026. Comments gathered through this process will help finalize the NUCF Ten-Year Action Plan. Perspectives from both within and beyond the urban and community forestry field are welcome.

Learn more about the NUCFAC Action Plan and submit your comments.  

Upcoming Events

Forest Diseases Facing Connecticut's Woodlands, September 25, 2026, Great Mountain Forest, Norfolk. 

Conservation Conversation at Bent of the River Audubon, September 25, 2026, Southbury. 

Connecticut Trails Symposium, October 2, 2026, New Haven.  

Invasive Plant Species in Connecticut: Identification, Ecology, and Management, October 7, 2026, Great Mountain Forest, Norfolk. 

Hartford Urban Wood Showcase: The Hoadley Oak Collection, October 15, 2026, Mark Twain House & Museum, Hartford.

Walktober Event: Regenerating Forest Habitat by Controlling Deer Browse, October 17, 2026, Goodwin State Forest, Hampton. 

2026 CIPWG Invasive Plant Symposium, October 28, 2026, Storrs. 

Walktober Wander and Ponder: The Poetry of Mary Oliver, Nov 5, 2026, Pixie Falls at Natchaug State Forest, Ashford. 

Forest Management Walk with Branford Land Trust, Nov 7, 2026, Van Wie Woods, Branford. 

Connecticut Association of Conservation and Inland Wetlands Commissions Annual Meeting and Conference, November 14, 2026, Cromwell.