Persisting dry conditions in the Hudson Valley are leading to warnings from authorities ranging from local fire stations to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC).

While the NYS DEC maintains that the Hudson Valley is not experiencing a drought, conditions are still dry enough for the agency to place the entire Hudson Valley under "high" risk for fire danger. Here's what that means.

Chadwick Lake in Newburgh, NY
Abnormally dry conditions in the Hudson Valley has led to elevated fire risks (TSM Poughkeepsie)
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Fire Danger Risks in the Hudson Valley

Nearly the entire eastern half of New York State is under a high fire danger assessment (below). The "high" category is in the middle of a scale that begins at "low" and terminates at "extreme". From the NYS DEC:

[A rating of "high" means] fine dead fuels ignite readily and fires start easily from most causes. Unattended brush and campfires are likely to escape. Fires spread rapidly and short-distance spotting is common

Current fire danger risks in New York State
Current fire danger risks in New York State (NYS DEC)
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Wildfires in New York State

Unfortunately, these fires have already begun. Recently in Hamilton County, NY, forest rangers responded to an unattended campfire that began to spread much like the warnings suggest (below). It took nearly 48 hours for the fire to be declared extinguished.

A small forest fire in Hamilton County, NY
Forest Rangers in Hamilton County, NY recently responded to a wildfire caused by an unattended campfire (NYS DEC via Facebook)
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To put it plainly, a high fire danger assessment means that any open flame or ember could potentially cause a larger fire. This means everything from cigarettes to campfires could cause massive devastation. Learn about local burn bans and fire safety here.

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