DEEP To Conduct Controlled Burn At Lyme State Forest

LYME, 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 take place at 18 acres of Nehantic State Forest in Lyme. The burn is "to restore oak savanna, a type of forest that was common before European settlement and was historically maintained by regular fires set by Indigenous peoples," according to the DEEP statement. "Oak savannas are open forests with scattered oak trees and a ground layer of grasses and wildflowers. This habitat depends on fire to persist. Controlled burns will be carried out every 2 to 5 years to maintain the oak savanna habitat. As long as prescribed fire is used regularly, no timber harvesting will take place in this area."

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."