BERLIN, CT – While the recent rain Wednesday into Thursday was, in the words of state officials, a “good morale boost,” it was little more in light of the massive Berlin brush fire.

Still, after a 10-day battle against the Hawthorne Fire on Lamentation Mountain in Berlin, local and state firefighters are now showing signs that they have won the battle.

The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection held another information session about the fire Wednesday evening. According to DEEP officials:

• A firefighter succumbed to heat while battling the fire and was transported from the scene of the fire for further medical treatment.

• Several more bushfires are emerging during the national fire ban, but they all appear to be manageable.

• Hawthorne Fire recovery plans are underway to help the area recover biologically and botanically from the fire.

Still, state officials said it is not safe to send appropriate DEEP personnel to the scene at this time because the fire is still only 30 percent extinguished.

• Despite the recent good news, there are concerns that there could be more dry weather in the future, particularly on October 31 and into the weekend, with no rain forecast.

The rain Wednesday into Thursday night dried up quickly as soon as the sun came out, and while it was a “good morale boost,” it wasn't enough, state officials said.

• There have been no reports of people violating the burning ban on state property.

The first reports of the fire were received from residents at Lamentation Mountain State Park in Berlin/Meriden on Monday, October 21st at approximately 5:44 p.m.

Firefighters from the Berlin Volunteer Fire Department and the forest fire department of the State Ministry for Energy and Environmental Protection are, among other things, working in the fight against the fire. Additionally, firefighters from Newington, Wethersfield, Rocky Hill, Cromwell, Westfield, Southington and Meriden are also helping.

Sadly, Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department firefighter Robert Sharkevich Sr. lost his life on October 22nd when the wildfire truck he was in overturned. His funeral and burial took place on Monday, October 28th.

Estimates suggest the fire has burned 100 to 125 hectares of land so far, with the fire still confined to unpopulated areas of the city and no evacuation of residential areas required.