Posts Tagged ‘wildfire’

Friday, July 15, 2022

DEC issues fire danger reminder

campfire courtesy DECOn July 14, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos urged New Yorkers to practice the utmost safety when building campfires this summer. Dry weather throughout June and July has increased the risk of fires.

“The sunny, summer weather is giving people ample opportunity to enjoy New York’s outdoors, but it’s also increasing the risk for fires,” Commissioner Seggos said. “When building a campfire, please make sure to always keep an eye on it and pay attention to the wind. And when finished, make sure the fire is fully out and cold to the touch.”

The majority of the state remains at a moderate risk for fires, meaning that any outdoor fire can spread quickly, especially if the wind picks up. Campfires are among the top five causes of wildfires (PDF).

» Continue Reading.


Thursday, July 29, 2021

DEC Deploys Second Ranger to Assist in Western Wildfires

wildfireNew York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced Tuesday that a second DEC Forest Ranger has been deployed to Montana to assist in fighting western wildfires. Monday, New York State welcomed home Forest Ranger Timothy Carpenter at the end of his two-week assignment fighting the Bootleg Fire raging in Oregon.

Ranger Carpenter, from Steuben County, began his assignment July 10, when he joined more than 2,000 federal, state, and local fire agencies battling the Bootleg Fire in Oregon. The Bootleg Fire started on July 6 and has burned more than 400,000 acres. It is now approximately 53 percent contained. Sustained winds and low humidity make this a difficult fire to get under control. The fire has already destroyed more than 200 buildings, forcing the evacuation of about 2,000 people.

» Continue Reading.


Friday, July 16, 2021

Forest Ranger Assists With Oregon Wildfire

wildfireA DEC Forest Ranger and expert wildland firefighter is being deployed today to assist with efforts to contain the Bootleg Fire in the Fremont-Winema region of Oregon. Nearly every year, New York State deploys its highly trained wildland firefighters to help battle fires in western states.

This is DEC’s first wildland firefighting deployment after 2020’s busy fire season,” DEC Commissioner Seggos said. “As climate change continues to drive wildfires that threaten communities throughout the West, New York State stands ready to assist our fellow states with expertise that our firefighters then bring back home to help with future emergency responses.”

The DEC Forest Ranger will join a crew of federal, state, and local fire agencies battling the Bootleg Fire in Oregon.

In 1979, New York sent its first firefighting crew to assist western states with large wildfires. On average, one or two crews have been sent as needed to assist with wildfires every year since. In addition to helping contain wildfires and minimize damage, these crews gain valuable experience that can be utilized fighting wildfires and managing all-risk incidents in New York.

In 2020, DEC Forest Rangers led four 10-person wildland firefighting crews to western states to aid in the national wildfire suppression effort. Each crew consisted of a Forest Ranger crew boss, four additional Forest Rangers, and five volunteer DEC employees with wildland firefighter training. Crews were assigned to a firefighting task for two weeks. In addition, several Forest Rangers were deployed as Incident Command Specialists to various fires throughout the country, including the record fires in California.

All personnel and travel expenses for the New York crews are either paid directly by the U.S. Forest Service or reimbursed to New York State based on a mutual aid agreement between states and federal land agencies.

Photo: Wildland firefighting techniques used in Colorado from 2020. DEC photo


Monday, November 2, 2020

Rangers return from stint fighting western fires

South Dakota, California, and Colorado
Fighting Wildfires:
 On Oct. 16, DEC welcomed back the State’s third team of Forest Rangers, staff, and volunteers deployed to help battle and contain wildfires raging in western states. The wildland firefighting crew began their assignment on Sept. 30. The crew includes a DEC Forest Ranger crew boss and nine firefighters from the ranks of Forest Rangers and other DEC programs.

Shown at left: New York State wildland firefighter in South Dakota

» Continue Reading.


Wednesday, August 5, 2020

DEC fights wildfires in St. Lawrence County; conducts helicopter bucket training


Recent DEC Forest Ranger actions:

Town of Malta
Saratoga County
Wildland Helicopter Bucket Training:
 On July 27, DEC’s Forest Rangers and the Army National Guard Air Assault Battalion out of the Albany Airport conducted specialized wildland firefighting training on Round Lake using two Army UH60-A Blackhawk Helicopters outfitted with 660-gallon Bambi Buckets. Forest Rangers and Army National Guard Crew Chiefs and Pilots simulated aerial firefighting tactics on the lake. Rangers communicated with the pilots from within the helicopter and from the ground, guiding them during a hover of the lake to fill buckets and drop water on a simulated fire line. View the photos on DEC’s Flickr album.

Photo of fire training over Round Lake taken by the New York National Guard

» Continue Reading.


Thursday, September 26, 2019

Rangers Stop Wildfire, Make Several Rescues

forest ranger logoNew York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents in the Adirondacks. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people from the Adirondack backcountry.

What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers in the Adirondacks. » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Smokey Bear’s 75th Anniversary Events Statewide

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is participating in events across the state this month to celebrate Smokey Bear’s 75th anniversary.

DEC is teaming up with the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters, and the Ad Council to celebrate 75 years since the 1944 launch of the Smokey Bear Wildfire Prevention campaign, the longest-running public service advertising campaign in U.S. history. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Recent Adirondack Wilderness Rescue Missions

forest ranger logoNew York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents in the Adirondacks. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people from the Adirondack backcountry.

What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers in the Adirondacks. » Continue Reading.


Monday, April 1, 2019

Burn Ban In Effect

fire by town 2017Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has reminded residents that with spring approaching conditions for wildfires will become heightened and residential brush burning is prohibited through May 14 across New York State.

Even though much of the state is currently blanketed in snow, warming temperatures can quickly cause wildfire conditions to arise. Many areas, including in the Southeastern and Eastern Adirondacks, already have large areas devoid of snow.

» Continue Reading.


Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Paul Smith’s College Offering Wildland Firefighting Courses

Firefighters work to contain a 2016 blaze at Sams Point in Ulster CountyWildland firefighting, a field that aligns closely with existing Paul Smith’s College academic programs, will now be a minor available to students.

Included in the minor is an Incident Qualification Card, known as a “red card” and a key certification for those pursuing work in the field. Educational background also plays a substantial role – the college’s four-year programs in Forestry, Natural Resources and Conservation Management, Parks and Recreation Management, and Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences are among those preferred by local, state, and federal agencies. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, September 20, 2018

Adirondack Wildfire: The Destruction of Long Lake West

Damage by Laura Von RoskOver the years I have put my canoe into the waters at Low’s Lower Dam (constructed 1907); and paddled the meandering Bog River Flow up to Hitchins Pond.

I have carried around Low’s Upper Dam (built in 1903*), many times. I usually choose to camp on Low’s Lake, so I keep on going. But occasionally a day paddle and a short hike around Hitchins Pond is in order. It’s on these day paddles that I often walk the road (actually the old Maple Valley Railroad bed), as part of the Horse Shoe Forestry Company, constructed by Abbot Augustus “Gus” Low in 1900. If you know where to look, there are “sidings” where A. A. Low’s sugarhouses were located. » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, September 4, 2018

NYS Wildfire Response Speaks To Ranger Staffing Crisis

Rangers next to their Engines in 1934 The last few years have brought a dramatic shift in fire behavior in the Western United States. Fires are more intense, more common in the wildland-urban interface, and the burning seasons are longer. Most fire professionals no longer even recognize “fire seasons” in parts of the country, but rather “fire years.” All of this is occurring while there is shrinking pool of human resources to fight fires.

The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), is the country’s support center for wildland firefighting. Its policy states that “Wildland fire recognizes no ownership or jurisdictional boundaries on the landscape; nor do the complex issues of fire management. As a result, perhaps nowhere is the practice of interagency and interdepartmental cooperation more prevalent and effective as in the nation’s wildland fire community.” » Continue Reading.


Friday, August 31, 2018

Adirondack High Peaks: Hiker Search, Recovery, Wildfires

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents in the Adirondacks. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people from the Adirondack backcountry.

What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers in the Adirondacks. » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Forest Rangers Last Week: Rescues, Search, Fires

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents in the Adirondacks. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people from the Adirondack backcountry.

What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers in the Adirondacks. » Continue Reading.


Saturday, July 21, 2018

Tips to Avoid Starting Wildfires

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has encouraged residents in the North Country and Adirondack Park areas to use caution during dry weather and avoid starting wildfires. Although the State’s burn ban ended on May 14, several open burning regulations are still in effect across New York year round.

Residents are encouraged to use caution when burning brush and other legal materials. In towns with populations under 20,000 people, residents may burn brush and tree limbs unless prohibited by local law. In towns where the population exceeds 20,000, brush burning is not allowed at any time.

Residents that live in townships inside the Adirondack Park or that adjoin the park, must obtain a DEC permit to burn brush and other legal materials. Residents should always check with local authorities to find out if local law requires a permit or prohibits open fires in their area.

DEC recommends these fire safety tips when burning: » Continue Reading.



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