Governor Orders Flags To Half-Mast After Wildland Firefighter Fatality In Connecticut.
Governor Orders Flags To Half-Mast After Wildland Firefighter Fatality In Connecticut.
Yesterday evening, an ATV rollover occurred on the wildfire outside Berlin, Connecticut, on Lamentation Mountain, resulting in 3 injuries and a fatality. The rollover happened while firefighters were driving along a steep rocky incline, according to police, which led to the rollover.
Robert Sharkevich Sr., a former member of the Hartford Fire Department and active member of the Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department, died of his injuries sustained from the crash. Three other individuals were injured in the crash and have since been released.
Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut has directed that all U.S. and State flags be lowered to half-mast to honor fallen firefighter Robert Sharkevich Sr.
"His selfless dedication to public service and the safety of his community and the surrounding towns is nothing less than heroic. On behalf of the people of Connecticut, I thank him for the service he has provided to our state, and I extend my deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues in the Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department and Hartford Fire Department.”
Governor Lamont
State senators have also issued statements expressing their condolences to the family and local firefighting community. Local fire chiefs said Robert Sharkevich Sr. was known throughout the community and was a part of their tight-knit fire family.
"The friendships run deep here, and there's long-lasting relationships between these people, so we're a tight-knit family. It's definitely felt throughout the surrounding towns; it's not just a Wethersfield thing or a Berlin thing, Newington. We're a family, and it affects everybody here."
Berlin Fire Chief John Massirio
The Hawthorne Fire started on Monday and burned around 90 acres before local resources and National Guard aviation resources were able to contain the incident. Resources from Maine and New Hampshire have been called to Connecticut to assist with wildfires in the state, and Red Flag warnings have been issued statewide for wildfire danger.
The East Coast looks to be entering its busy time for wildfires this fall, and our thoughts and prayers are with the Connecticut fire family as they navigate this tough time after their loss.
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A tragic reminder about the dangers involved fighting wildfires. We are grateful for the life and sacrifices of Robert Sharkevich Sr. and his injured comrades. We send our condolences to friends and family who will never know us, but whose loved one will not be forgotten by the wildfire community and those who read its stories here.