With the Arrival of Prime Wildfire Season, DEC Advises Public to Avoid Brush Burning

• by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

ALBANY, NY (04/15/2009)(readMedia)-- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis today reminded residents that April and May historically mark the height of wildfire season in the state and urged residents to avoid burning brush at a time when conditions are ripe for fires to spread.

Every spring, New York State forest rangers and volunteer fire departments respond to thousands of fires related to debris burning -- which is the most common preventable cause of wildfires in the state. Several factors allow wildfires to start easily and spread quickly in the spring: lack of green vegetation, abundance of available fuels such as dry grass and leaves, warm temperatures, sun and wind. Over roughly the last decade, annual statistics show that approximately 43 percent of all wildfires in New York State occur in April and May.

Instead of burning, DEC encourages residents to chip vegetative debris such as brush, tree limbs, etc., for use as mulch or in compost preparation. Residents may be able to compost small amounts of vegetative debris from their own property or contact their municipality for compost facilities in the area. Information on home composting is available from the Cornell Waste Management Institute, on the web at http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/smallscalecomposting.htm.

More information and advice on wildfire prevention can be found on DEC's "Firewise New York" web page: www.dec.ny.gov/public/42524.html.

Residents should check and obey local laws; a number of municipalities have banned open burning. Also, DEC advises everyone to be careful with other sources of ignition such as cigarettes, matches and any device that can create sparks.

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