A fire broke out in October of this year at Lamentation Mountain in Berlin. It took officials weeks to contain the brushfires. The Connecticut National Guard borrowed helicopters to dump more than 100,000 gallons of water on the fire.

While attempting to fight the fire, tragically, Wethersfield volunteer firefighter Robert Sharkevich Sr. died. Sharkevich was riding a utility task vehicle on one of the mountain trails when it rolled over.

The recent brush fires in Connecticut are forcing us to face the state of our changing climate and prepare for a future where wildfires could become more normal in our region.

John Vaillant, author of the 2023 book, Fire Weather: On the Front Lines of a Burning World recently penned an op-ed in the New York Times entitled “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Northeast Is Burning.”

He’ll join us today to react to the recent wildfires, and talk about what we can do to prepare.

GUESTS:

• John Vaillant: author of Fire Weather: On the Front Lines of a Burning World
• Dr. Saud Anwar: Connecticut State Senator
• Mason Trumble: Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Deputy Commissioner