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August 14
August 15
- Fire on Storm King
Times Herald-Record
Blame rests solely on the well-known "Bermuda high," an
area of high pressure that is now spinning
clockwise off the coast of North Carolina, said
Marc Spilde, a meteorologist at AccuWeather. The troublesome high
is also partly responsible for today's brief
storms. But it only took a single lightning
strike to spark a roughly two-acre blaze near the summit of Storm
King Mountain, a brush fire that forced about 40
firefighters to hike more than 800 feet up
the mountain from Route 9W.
"It wasn't so bad, but the terrain was rough, a lot of
handwork," said Cornwall fire Chief
Patrick Hines last night, shortly after the two-hour blaze
was brought under control. "When you get dry conditions like
that, you have to hit it quick."
[This was the same storm that I heard while in
Fahnestock as we cheered it on to dump some rain on us.]
- All trails in Hudson Highlands State Park, Hubbard Perkins
Conservation Area and Fahnestock State Park are CLOSED
at least until we get significant rain fall and the fires are out.
The AT remains open to thru-hikers but with temporary routing
around a fire.
August 19
The fires are now under control and volunteers are not needed. The
AT reroute is still in effect for thru-hikers only. The parks will not
reopen to the public until we get significant rain.
August 30
Yesterday's rain was
significant. The parks and trails are now open.
Adirondacks (DEC Region 5)
For Release: IMMEDIATE
August 20, 2002
Contact: David Winchell
518/897-1211
DEC AND OTHERS FIGHTING NUMEROUS ADIRONDACK FOREST
FIRES
New York Department of Environmental Conservation
(DEC) Forest Rangers, along with the State Police Aviation Unit,
Department of Correction Services inmate crews, and local volunteer
fire departments are fighting more than 36 active forest fires,
encompassing more than 320 acres in the Adirondack Mountains as of
Monday, August 19, 2002. Forest Rangers and Assistant Forest Rangers
from DEC Region 5 are being supplement by Rangers from other parts of
the state as well as DEC foresters and other staff.
Dry summer conditions have made forest fires easy to
start, and when coupled with the gusty winds, these fires can spread
quickly. Certain regions of the Adirondacks received less then two
inches of rain in July and less then one inch so far in the month of
August.
DEC reminds everyone that campfires have been banned
on all State Forest Preserve lands in the Adirondack Park, except DEC
campgrounds. DEC further asks that people make sure any open fires in
campgrounds or on private lands be kept small, be attended at all
times, and thoroughly soaked with water to ensure they are fully
extinguished.
In addition, to prevent additional human caused
wildfires, the DEC is suspending until further notice all burn permits
issued by the agency in the counties comprising DEC Region's 5 and 6,
which include Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Fulton, Saratoga,
Warren, Washington, St. Lawrence, Jefferson, Lewis, Herkimer and
Oneida counties.
While the majority of the currently active fires were
caused by lightning strikes, unattended campfires were the cause of at
least two of the current fires as well as ten others in the month of
August.
The majority (28), and largest (6 fires ranging from 4
to 75 acres in size), of the fires are located in Essex (15) and
Warren (13) Counties. Fires are also burning in Clinton, Hamilton,
Lewis, Saratoga, and Washington Counties.
More than half the active fires have been contained -
encompassing approximately 143 acres - and are being patrolled by a
minimal number of Forest Rangers so that the maximum number of Forest
Rangers can be directed to more active fires. As of Monday containment
ranged from 0 to 80 percent on the 16 fires that have burned more than
142 acres and are considered "uncontained." The six largest
uncontained fires are:
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75 acres on Huckleberry Mountain, Town of
Johnsburg, Warren County;
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the 45 acre Gooseneck Fire, Town of Ticonderoga,
Essex County;
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the 25 acre Ridge Fire on Hail Mountain, Town of
Crown Point, Essex County;
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8 acres on Whiteface Mountain, below the gondola,
Town of Wilmington, Essex County;
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another 7 acre fire on Hail Mountain, Town of
Crown Point, Essex County; and
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4 acres on Beach Mountain, Town of Bolton, Warren
County
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