The Smokey Bear sign in front of the state Department of Environmental Conservation Region 5 headquarters in Ray Brook is visible Thursday afternoon. (Corporate photo – Chris Gaige)

RAY BROOK — The Smokey Bear sign outside the State Department of Environmental Conservation Region 5 headquarters warned of a “high” wildfire danger Thursday afternoon.

The increased danger comes from a lack of rain, dry air and large amounts of dry brush – which fuels fires – combining to create hospitable wildfire conditions throughout the Tri-Lakes region.

A statewide burning ban is in effect until November 30 due to the increased risk of wildfires. It was released Tuesday as wildfires continued to rage across southeastern New York state, burning thousands of acres and killing at least one person. The ban prohibits lighting fires outdoors to burn brush and debris. The ban also prohibits people from having uncontained campfires and open fires for cooking.

Backyard fire pits and confined campfires less than 3 feet in height and 4 feet in length, width or diameter are still allowed, as are small confined cooking fires, according to the DEC.

While the Adirondacks have been spared so far this season, several large fires burned last week in the Catskills and northern areas of the state, which are facing worse drought conditions, according to the Drought Monitor. United States, which tracks drought conditions across the country. This shows that much of this area lies within “a serious drought”.

The US Drought Monitor is jointly managed by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. More information about the US Drought Monitor is available at tinyurl.com/ysy7a23c.

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Upstate fires

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One responder, Dariel Vasquez, died Saturday after a tree fell on him while fighting fires at Sterling Forest State Park in Orange County, according to state police. No other deaths have been reported so far as a result of the fires, although they have caused significant damage. The largest of these – the Jennings Creek/Sterling State Park wildfire – burned more than 5,000 acres in New York and New Jersey.

The fire was less than 50% contained Thursday morning, according to the DEC. This is the largest wildfire to burn in the state since 2008, Gov. Kathy Hochul said during a news conference Tuesday.

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Local risk

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The Adirondacks – while still unseasonably dry – have received relatively more precipitation over the past two weeks than other areas of the Northeast, helping to mitigate wildfire risk to some extent.

The DEC has several categories of wildfire danger, which it rates daily for the state: low, moderate, high, very high and extreme. The DEC defines “high” forest fire risk conditions such as: “All fine, dead fuels ignite easily and fires start easily from most causes.” according to its website. “Brush and campfires left unattended are at risk of escape. Fires spread quickly and close-range sightings are common. High intensity burns may develop on slopes or in concentrations of fine fuels. Fires can become severe and difficult to control unless they are successfully attacked while small.

Wildfire risk in the Tri-Lakes region likely won’t improve until next week. Rain is not expected in the area until at least Monday, according to the National Weather Service office in Burlington, Vermont, which serves northern New York.

The Tri-Lakes region is currently listed as “abnormally dry” by the American Drought Monitor.

If people think they see signs of a wildfire, they should report it immediately by calling 911, according to the DEC website. Prompt reporting is often key to preventing wildfires from getting out of control, especially in dry weather.

For more information on the latest DEC fire conditions, visit tinyurl.com/yc7x5yj9.