PLATTSBURGH — New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers responded to several search and rescue incidents statewide recently.
Forest Rangers work with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups to locate and extract lost, injured, or distressed people from across New York State.
Wilmington, Essex County
On Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 3 p.m. Forest Rangers responded to a request for assistance, made by Ray Brook dispatch, with two lost hikers on the Cobble Lookout trail in Wilmington Wild Forest.
At 5:14 p.m., Forest Ranger DuChene located the 20-year-old from France and 21-year-old from Canada and helped the pair back to the trailhead.
Keene. Essex County
On Saturday, Oct. 26 at 1:45 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call about a hiker with a lower leg injury on Mount Marcy.
New York State Police Pilot Engel flew Forest Rangers Lewis and O’Connor to the scene where Ranger Lewis lowered Ranger O’Connor down to the 45-year-old from Lockport.
Ranger O’Connor stabilized the hiker’s broken leg, and Ranger Lewis hoisted the subject into the helicopter so they could fly to the hospital.
Ranger O’Connor escorted the subject’s husband to Adirondack Loj.
Resources were clear at 7 p.m.
Fires
Between Wednesday, Oct. 23 and Sunday, Oct. 27 DEC Forest Rangers responded to 13 reported fires in Delaware, Dutchess, Essex, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, Rockland, St. Lawrence, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, and Ulster Counties.
On Oct. 23, Forest Rangers responded to eight wildland fires in seven counties including a nearly 24 acre fire in the Town of Berkshire in Tioga County, and a 20-acre fire in the town of Lawrence, St. Lawrence County.
Conditions continue to result in a “High” fire danger in certain regions. A high fire danger means all fine, dead fuels ignite readily and fires start easily from most causes, including unattended brush and campfires.
An updated fire danger map is available on the DEC website.
While the statewide burn ban is no longer in effect, burning garbage or leaves is prohibited year-round in New York State.
Call List
According to the DEC website, Forest Rangers conducted 370 search and rescue missions, extinguished 146 wildfires covering nearly 1,400 acres, participated in 52 prescribed fires that served to rejuvenate more than 1,000 acres of land, and worked on cases that resulted in hundreds of tickets and arrests.
The DEC encourages hikers to prepare and plan before entering the backcountry, visit DEC’s Hike Smart NY, Adirondack Backcountry Information, and Catskill Backcountry Information webpages for more information.
To contact the Forest Rangers, for a search and rescue, to report a wildfire, or to report illegal activity on state lands and easements, call 833-NYS-RANGERS.