Each spring there is a burn ban in affect in New York State from March 16 until May 14.
Open burning is the single greatest cause of wildfires in New York State. That means no burning of brush or other debris because of the potential danger of wildfires.
But, why, you might ask? The ground is wet from the recently melted snow. There’s mud and overly moist soil. What’s going to burn? The dead grass in our fields and meadows is dried by the wind and will burn extremely fast.
But I like to hike. Can I have a campfire? Yes. Campfires and cooking fires less than three feet in height and four across are legal, but must be closely monitored. When you’re through using it, wet down the ashes and make sure they are cool to the touch.
One spring day many years ago I was fishing for brook trout along Dunning Creek north of Wells in the Adirondacks. It was one of those little streams that no one seemed to fish, because they had no idea what swam in its upstream pools.
A few hundred feet upstream from the state highway were several pools that held brightly colored, native brook trout. They weren’t very big, but they sure were tasty when fried.
Anyway, I hiked up the creek and got my limit in just a short time. As I headed back to my car, I smelled smoke. There were no houses nearby, so I looked around for its source.
Down near the road was a small camping spot that people often used. I think someone had camped there the night before. As I got near the stone campfire ring, I found the source of the smoke. The fire was slowly burning the dried moss and leaves three feet outside the fire ring.
I had nothing with which to put out the fire or carry water from the brook, so I quickly drove to town and found the forest ranger. Dave and I returned and extinguished the smoldering debris. But if the wind had come up, who knows how much of the forest would have been lost. There was plenty of brush and downed limbs that could have caught.
I’m sure if I hadn’t discovered that smoldering ground, the results would have been catastrophic. How many acres of forest would have been lost because a campfire wasn’t totally extinguished?
This past fall there was a wildfire in the Catskill Mountains in the Peekamoose Valley. It burned over 600 acres of forest on a very steep mountainside. Firefighters from all over the state went to fight the fire. It started from an unattended campfire.
Over the years wildfires have destroyed thousands of acres of forests as well as homes and communities. As you drive north on Route 30 from Wells towards Speculator you will see a large rocky outcropping on the upper side of the mountain in front of you. It was caused by a forest fire. The flames killed the trees and erosion left the mountain exposed to the bedrock. A simple campfire was the cause.
Okay, forget the mountains. Burning brush or debris can be detrimental to the land that surrounds our homes.
Many years ago we had a burn barrel. Heck, everyone had one. Sparks and burning paper from ours set a fire on our hill. Luckily there was no wind and we saw the smoke. We were able to stop it before it reached the dry grass in the meadow. It could have been far worse.
I have always been confused by the controlled burns the state often have during the burn ban timeline. It seems that every year in Albany’s Pine Bush region they burn the underbrush. I guess they have ample help and equipment to control the flames, but a couple of landowners or campers don’t.
So be careful. Remember what Smokey the Bear says: “Only you can prevent forest fires.”