DEEP To Conduct Controlled Burn At Stonington Wildlife Area

STONINGTON, CT — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) plans to conduct prescribed burns at nine locations this spring, weather and conditions permitting.

One of the controlled burns will occur at 10 acres of Barn Island Wildlife Management Area in Stonington.

" The main goal of this prescribed burn is to lower the risk of wildfires by reducing the amount of burnable vegetation in the area," DEEP said in a statement. "A second goal is to help limit the spread of invasive plants. This site is a good place for a controlled burn because it is bordered on three sides by natural or existing barriers, including Palmer Neck Road, the Barn Island parking lot, and Little Narragansett Bay. These features help contain the fire safely. The area also was chosen because the vegetation found here is similar to that in other coastal areas of southeastern Connecticut. This burn will help us see how fire affects these types of landscapes and will guide future burns in similar places. Based on how the area recovers after the burn, it may be burned again every 2 to 10 years to maintain desired conditions." 

Controlled burning is a valuable tool for maintaining healthy habitats and diverse vegetation, according to the statement. The burns help maintain rare grassland and pitch pine sand plain forest habitats that support rare and threatened species and can assist with forestry objectives such as oak regeneration.

Controlled burns also reduce available fire fuels, thus reducing the risk of damage should uncontrolled wildfire occur.

“In addition to providing significant benefits for wildlife habitat and wildfire fuel reduction, prescribed burns offer outstanding training opportunities for DEEP’s wildfire firefighters who help protect Connecticut’s communities and natural resources. Exercises like these strengthen coordination, sharpen critical skills, and ensure our crews are fully prepared to respond to wildfires such as the Hawthorne wildfire in 2024 — one of the worst in Connecticut’s history,” DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said in a statement. “DEEP also has proposed legislation in 2026 to strengthen our state’s wildfire preparedness and response capabilities."