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(12:42 PM) Dry Conditions Lead To Multiple Brush, Field Fires

Several brush and field fires were reported Wednesday in Chautauqua County. Pictured is a field near Willard Street Extension in Kennedy after roughly 7 acres of field burned. Photo by the Falconer Fire Department

Dry conditions resulted in several brush and field fires Wednesday in Chautauqua County.

Falconer, Frewsburg and Kennedy firefighters were first summoned around 3:35 p.m. to 1681 Willard St. Ext. in Kennedy for a report of a fire in a field. According to the Falconer Fire Department, roughly 7 acres burned in the fire. Firefighters remained on scene for about an hour and a half.

At 4:15 p.m., crews were called to 50 Ross St., across from Ripley Central School, for a fire in a grape vineyard. Ripley firefighters were on scene for more than an hour.

A brush fire was reported at 5:05 p.m. at 449 Temple St. in Fredonia. Crews were on scene for about 50 minutes.

And in Gerry, firefighters were called Wednesday around 7:45 p.m. to a brush fire at 4619 Route 60.

Photo by the Falconer Fire Department

Brush burning is prohibited in the state from March 16 to May. The ban, which is year-round in Jamestown, decreases the risk of wildfires, the state Department of Environmental Conservation said.

“While many people associate wildfires with the western United States, the start of spring weather and the potential for dry conditions increases the risk for wildfires in New York,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said. “New York prohibits residential burning during the coming high-risk fire season to reduce wildfires and protect people, property and natural resources. The ban has been extremely effective in reducing the number of wildfires, and we’re encouraging New Yorkers to put safety first.”

The DEC said open burning of debris is the “largest single cause of spring wildfires in New York state.” When temperatures are warmer and the past fall’s debris, dead grass and leaves dry out, wildfires can start and spread easily and be further fueled by winds and a lack of green vegetation.

New York first enacted strict restrictions on open burning in 2009 to help prevent wildfires and reduce air pollution. State regulations allow residential brush fires in towns with fewer than 20,000 residents during most of the year, but prohibit such burning in spring when most wildfires in New York occur. The DEC said since the ban was established, the eight-year annual average number of spring fires decreased by 42.6 percent, from 2,649 in 2009, to 1,521 in 2018.

Follow Eric Tichy at twitter.com/erictichy

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