East Lyme ― The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection announced Saturday that Rocky Neck State Park was closed at noon due to a brush fire.

East Lyme Fire Service Deputy Chief Erik Quinn said at about 2:50 p.m. Saturday that the fire was located in the hiking trail section of the park. He said East Lyme Fire Service, the DEEP, and a crew from California was working to contain the fire.

Later, at about 7:45 p.m., he said the fire was still burning. He said crews were pulled from the fire area, but the fire will continue to be monitored, and firefighters will return in the morning.

The call reporting the fire came in at 11:30 a.m., Quinn said.

The cause of the fire is currently unknown.

James Fowler, the DEEP’s senior advisor on outreach and engagement, said the park “has been evacuated with the assistance of DEEP EnCon Police, and signs are posted at outer access points to ensure public safety.“

He said the fire was initially mapped at approximately 5.1 acres and is being managed by response teams.

The brush fire is the latest in East Lyme in the past 10 days.

On Monday and Tuesday, firefighters extinguished a stubborn brush fire at the Friends of Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve. On Oct. 25, firefighters battled a brush fire off the I-95 northbound off-ramp at Exit 73 at Society Road that burned five acres. On Friday, firefighters extinguished a fast-moving brush fire sparked by a burning tractor on Ancient Highway. They also extinguished brush fires this week on Scott Road and Grassy Hill Road.

The DEEP meanwhile has implemented a statewide burning ban on all land its administers such as state parks, forests, and wildlife management areas. Gov. Ned Lamont has also declared a state of emergency in Connecticut after a Wethersfield firefighter died two weeks ago while responding to a brush fire on Lamentation Mountain in Berlin.

Fowler said the forest fire danger level across Connecticut on Saturday was rated as extreme.

“Connecticut is experiencing one of the driest fall seasons on record, with minimal rainfall since August,” Fowler said. “The dry foliage and windy conditions significantly increase the potential for fire spread. DEEP is closely monitoring these conditions to protect the state’s 1.8 million acres of forested land.”

He said the burn ban for state parks, forests, and wildlife management areas prohibits open flames, including campfires, grills. He said local burn permits are not valid within 100 feet of grasslands or woodlands.

DEEP offered fire prevention tips, including to safely dispose of smoking materials by fully extinguishing them and using fire-safe containers; use grills only on non-flammable surfaces and fully extinguish charcoal after use; delay yard work involving machinery, like mowing, on dry or windy days; avoid parking vehicles on dry grass; and to call 911 immediately if smoke or signs of a fire are spotted.

Updates on the state’s fire danger level are available at: https://portal.ct.gov/deep/forestry/forest-fire/forest-fire-danger-report

This is a developing story.