DEC URGES CAUTION WITH CAMPFIRES
Dry Conditions Have Elevated Potential Fire Danger
Interview with DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton here
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is urging the public to be extremely careful with all types of outdoor fires to avoid dangerous risks due to dry weather. Fire danger conditions are elevated, and much of the state is abnormally dry. Daily fire danger ratings may fluctuate based on weather, but the overall situation is elevated beyond what is typical for this time of year. With the fall foliage season in full swing, fire risk will continue to be a concern.
In recent weeks, DEC Forest Rangers have responded to multiple wildfires and encountered causes including unattended or improperly extinguished campfires. People often think a fire has been extinguished, but in dry conditions, hot embers burn into the ground where they can smolder for days or even weeks before being detected as a wildfire.
Due to high fire danger and extended dry conditions, campers, hunters, and other outdoor recreationists are discouraged from having campfires outside of established fire rings or pits that keep the fire contained. If you feel strongly that you must have a campfire, please keep them small and extinguish them completely. To properly extinguish a campfire, pour copious amounts of water on the fire, stir any remaining coals to mix the water into the fire bed, and make sure the fire is cool to the touch before leaving it.
If you encounter a wildfire in the forest, dial 911 to report the fire and be prepared to give a location of the fire to first responders. If you encounter unattended campfires on DEC lands, contact Forest Ranger Dispatch at 1-833-NYS-RANGERS (1-833-697-7264).
Some helpful wildfire prevention tips:
- Completely extinguish all campfires. Fires should be doused with water and stirred to mix ashes and water until ashes are cool enough to touch with the back of your hand. Remember, if it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave.
- Never discard ashes from campfires, charcoal grills, woodstoves, or cigarettes on vegetation or the forest floor.
- Refrain from smoking in areas with flammable vegetation or organic soils. Cigarette butts and ashes should never be discarded in the forest regardless of location. If you carry it in, carry it out!
- Do not drive off an established road or park on top of vegetation. Hot mufflers and catalytic converters can ignite vegetation that touches them.
- When operating chainsaws, generators, and other power equipment, ensure it has a functioning muffler with spark arrestor. Have supplies (shovel, water, fire extinguisher) to deal with a fire if one should start.
- Check local regulations for your intended destination for any additional restrictions on fires.
- Make sure that all vegetation and flammable material are far away from your fire.
- Never leave a fire unattended. Always be careful with fire.
- And “Remember…Only You Can Prevent Wildfires.”
DEC is also alerting the public to increased levels of particulate matter in the air. Cool autumn nights can lead to light winds and limited atmospheric mixing, so local pollution sources, like chimneys, traffic, and industrial processes can build up, leading to higher levels of particulate matter. This week, brushfires over the Southern United States are bringing smoke into New York. Most of it stays aloft and is not as intense as the wildfire smoke seen from western wildfires, but there’s still a portion of the fine particles that settle.
Other available resources:
NYS DEC Campfire Safety: https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/camping/fire-safety
NYS DEC Open Burning: https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/air-quality/open-burning
NYS DEC Fire Danger Map: https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/wildfires/fire-danger-map
Firewise NY: https://dec.ny.gov/nature/forests-trees/wildfires/firewise-new-york/homeowners
Air Quality Index: https://appfactory.dec.ny.gov/AQI/
Air Quality Monitoring: https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/air-quality/monitoring
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