(Updated) Multiple Crews Contain Six Acre Middlefield Fire

Updated: 1 p.m.

Dozens of firefighters and emergency responders have contained a brush fire that broke out in a section of Middlefield near Lake Beseck early Monday morning.

The fire spread to about 6.5 acres of forested land in a hilly section of town between Kickapoo Road and soon-to-be open Powder Ridge Ski area.

As of 1 p.m. the fire has been contained however crews are reportedly going to be on the scene for the rest of the day to extinguish hot spots, a dispatcher from Valley Shore Regional confirmed.

No one was ever in any danger of the brush fire, however it was hard for crews to get to because of the terrain in this section of town, the dispatcher said.

Because of the scope of the brush fire mutual aid was called in from several companies beyond Middlefield including: Meriden, Middletown, Durham, Haddam, Westfield, Kensington, Colchester, Cobalt (East Hampton), Haddam Neck, East Berlin and the state's Forestry Strike Team. 

The fire reportedly had been spreading underground and responders had to bring in pumper trucks so to transport water to the scene. All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) were also utilized in the response. 

Responders were first stationed at the top of Kickapoo Road, a mountainous, windy pathway in one of Middlefield's higher elevated points, but crews were later relocated to the Middlefield dog park as the fire moved south toward Powder Ridge.

Smoke could be seen billowing from the forest early Monday morning and it was visible from both Route 66 and I-91 in Meriden. 

Updated: 12:06 p.m.

Fire officials have contained a wildfire that spread along the brush over a four to five acre area near Kickapoo Road and Lake Beseck, but there is still more work to be done as the flames threaten to spread underground.

Firefighters from throughout the surrounding area have been called to the scene to assist in the response, one official said, with hopes to curb any potential spread underground.

"The fire is four to 5 acres, but it is mostly contained," one fire official said. 

The fire had travelled underground from its initial point in the Kickapoo area toward Powder Ridge. Multiple fire companies had dispatched crews to both locations to battle the brush fire.

Updated: 11:41 a.m.

Multiple towns are now responding with fire equipment including pumper trucks and ATVs to help combat the flames.

Officials have relocated from Kickapoo Road in Middlefield to the nearby dogpark where staging has been set up. Firefighters are looking to stop the flames from heading south to Powder Ridge.

Nearby towns including Kensington, Meriden, Haddam Neck and Cobalt Forestry of East Haddam are all on scene and coordinating further response.

It's hard to get the water to the scene, a firefighter said, so outside equipment will play a crucial role in the response.

Original Story

Fire crews from Middlefield, Durham and Westfield are currently battling a brush fire in an area near Lake Beseck.

The call went out around 9:15 a.m. and, so far, multiple agencies have responded to the fire near the top of Kickapoo Road in Middlefield, said Westfield Fire Marshal Art Higgins. Westfield has already sent out three trucks to assist, Higgins said.

First Selectman Jon Brayshaw said the fire appears to be in the area behind the Middlefield Dog Park and an official at Valley Shore Dispatch said it was reported in the area between Kickapoo and Powder Ridge.

Check with Patch later as we get more details on this incident. Jason Vallee contributed to this report.