Wildfires

Wildfires, often called forest fires, damage thousands of acres of natural resources most every year in New York. Although wildfires naturally occur from lightning, human activities are the cause of most wildfires (PDF). To protect our natural resources and communities from wildfire damage, residents, visitors, and municipal jurisdictions must contribute to wildfire prevention and fire containment.

Wildfire terms defined

• Contained Fire is the status of a wildfire suppression action signifying that a control line has been completed around the fire which can reasonably be expected to stop the fire’s spread.  The fire is expected to be maintained within the control lines under current conditions, but the fire may be able to escape the established control lines if conditions change.
• Control Line is an inclusive term for all constructed or natural barriers and treated edges used to control a fire. This can include fireline constructed by hand or equipment, non-burnable natural barriers, burned areas that are out cold, etc.
• Controlled Fire is the status of a wildfire that continues to burn within established fire control lines.  There is little threat that this fire will escape the established control lines.  Interior burning is constrained by suppression actions to manageable fire behavior characteristics.
• Creeping fire describes fire behavior with low or no visible flame that is spreading very slowly.
• Crown fire describes fire behavior in which a solid flame develops in the crowns of trees above the surface.
• Fireline is a type of control line that is scraped or dug to mineral soil by hand tools or equipment.
• Ground fire describes fire behavior of fire that is burning beneath the ground surface that consumes organic material such as compressed timber litter or peat.
• Mop-up is the process of extinguishing or removing burning materials near the control line and felling dead/burning trees after an area has burned, in order to, improve the area near the control line to keep the fire from escaping containment.
• Patrol is the status of a wildfire that is not yet out, but it is controlled within a complete control line constructed to defined standards that requires minimal further suppression action under current characteristics of fuels, weather, and topography.  Fires in patrol status are checked regularly until they can be declared out.
• Prescribed Fires are the intentional setting of forest land on fire under carefully controlled conditions to achieve a vegetative or wildlife management goal adhering to a written and approved prescribed fire plan.  They may also be referred to as: “prescribed burn”, or “controlled burn.”
• Running fire describes fire behavior of a surface or crown fire that is spreading rapidly with a well-defined head.
• Spot fire is a fire ignited outside the perimeter of the main fire. Usually caused by a burning ember carried by the wind or convection, or by burning debris rolling downhill.
• Surface fire describes fire behavior with visible flames that is burning loose debris on the surface, which includes dead branches, leaves, and low vegetation.
• Torching describes fire behavior in which fire spreads from the surface up to the foliage of a single or a small group of trees.
• Wildfires are unplanned or unwanted fires burning in forest, grass, or woodland vegetation. They may also be referred to as
  • forest fires;
  • brush fires;
  • grass fires;
  • range fires;
  • ground fires; or
  • crown fires.
• Wildland-Urban Interface Fires are wildfires that burn or threaten to burn buildings and other structures.
• Wildfire Mitigation is the activity of reducing the risk of wildfires and their associated property loss, forest damage, and sometimes loss of life.
• Wildland Fire Management is activity related to wildfire mitigation and the use of prescribed fire to accomplish ecological goals.
• Uncontrolled Fire is a wildfire that threatens to destroy life, property, or natural resources, and is not burning within the confines of firebreaks or control lines.   

Wildfire Occurrence

According to Forest Rangers Division wildfire occurrence data from 2010-2024 (PDF), wildfires in New York State are caused by the following.

• Lightning is responsible for 5%.
• Debris burning accounts for 22%.
• Incendiary fires account for 13%.
• Campfires cause 28%.
• Children are responsible for 2%.
• Smoking, equipment, railroads, and miscellaneous causes contribute to the remaining 30% of wildfires.

Beginning in 2010, New York enacted revised open burning regulations that ban brush burning statewide from March 15 through May 15, a period when 48% of all fire department-response wildfires occur. Forest ranger data indicates that this new statewide ban resulted in 45% fewer spring wildfires caused by debris burning in upstate New York from 2010-2024 when compared to the previous 15-year average. Debris burning has been prohibited in New York City and Long Island for more than 40 years.

Wildland Fire Management in New York

New York state is 30.9 million acres in size with 18.9 million acres of non-federal forested lands. In addition, there is an undetermined amount of open-space non-forested lands with wildfire potential. New York has experienced many large wildfires throughout its history. Due to its temperate climate and forest types, wildfires do not occur as regularly as they do in areas of the United States with a more arid climate. Wildfire risk varies with seasonal changes in forest fuels, and it is primarily weather driven. The period in the spring after snow melt and before green-up in generally when the largest fires occur due to cured grass and forest fuels rapidly becoming available to burn during dry periods with low relative humidity. High winds also frequently occur during spring weather patterns that aid to drive fire spread. During years of extended drought, wildfires occur during the mid to late summer months presenting as ground fires in the dry organic matter on the forest floor or as surface fires burning dried woody material such as downed trees and branches. The state generally sees another spike in fire activity in the fall as cured grasses and leaf drop make fine fuels available again during periods of low relative humidity and drought. These fires can be very intense, and may threaten nearby homes, businesses, or improvements, thereby becoming a wildland-urban interface fire.

View a map of Wildland Fire Protection Areas in NY (PDF)

Prescribed Fires

Not all fires are negative events. Prescribed fire is a tool used to manage fire dependent ecosystems in a manner that develops a resilient natural balance of fire in the desired vegetation. These fires are regulated by law and regulation and require technical expertise to conduct the burns safely.

Support to New York

Some years, when wildfire occurrence is high, fire departments and forest rangers need help to control them. New York has several mutual aid options with other states, federal agencies, and Canadian provinces:

• New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES);
• New York State Police Aviation Unit;
• New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs;
• National Guard;
• Department of Correctional Services;
• US Forest Service;
• National Park Service;
• US Fish and Wildlife Service;
• Quebec;
• Newfoundland Labrador; and
• New Brunswick.