DEC Forest Rangers - Week in Review

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents statewide. Working with other State agencies, local emergency response organizations, and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured, or distressed people from across New York State.

In 2025, DEC Forest Rangers conducted 362 search and rescue missions, extinguished 202 wildfires covering 840 acres, participated in 68 prescribed fires that served to rejuvenate 1,649 acres of land, and worked on cases that resulted in more than 1,100 tickets and arrests. Also in 2025, 41 Forest Rangers were deployed to fire assignments in 10 different states.

“Our Forest Rangers are elite law enforcement leaders who put their lives on the line when they respond to a search and rescue, wildland fire, or State land violation,” DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said. “We’re fortunate to have them patrolling State lands and keeping people safe. Their expertise and professionalism are valuable assets, not only in New York, but around the country wherever emergencies arise.”

City of Albany and Town of Guilderland 
Albany County 
Prescribed Fires: 
On June 2, 3, and 5, Forest Rangers joined staff from the DEC’s Divisions of Fish and Wildlife and Lands and Forests, and Albany Pine Bush to conduct controlled burns of 29 acres at the Albany Pine Bush. 

On June 4, Forest Rangers joined staff from DEC’s Divisions of Fish and Wildlife and Lands and Forests, and the New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to conduct a controlled burn of 44 acres and Moreau Lake State Park. 

Prescribed fire is an important land management tool used to improve habitat for lands and wildlife. These burns are regulated by law and regulation and require technical expertise to safely conduct. Controlled burns help prevent the spread of invasive species, and in some areas, prescribed fire is used to reduce the buildup of wood, timber litter, and other fuel to reduce the potential for wildfires that threaten public safety and critical infrastructure. DEC carefully and responsibly implements prescribed fires only when conditions are favorable to meet land management goals. 

Town of Johnsburg 
Warren County 
Wilderness Search: On June 4 at 1:40 p.m., a hiker texted 911 that they were lost on Crane Mountain. Forest Ranger Donegan used coordinates provided by Warren County to locate the 39-year-old from Green Island on the southwest side of the mountain. The hiker had enough water and no medical issues. Ranger Donegan bushwacked down to the lower trail with the hiker and walked them back to the trailhead. Resources were clear at 2:45 p.m. 

Town of Colton 
St. Lawrence County 
Wilderness Rescue: On June 5 at 4:11 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call about a hiker on the Dog Pond Loop of the Cranberry Lake 50 Trail who couldn’t continue due to blisters on their feet. Forest Rangers Ellis and Shea responded via boat. At 6:27 p.m., Rangers located the subject and their partner and transported them back to land and then to their vehicle. 

Village of Fort Ann 
Washington County 
Wilderness Rescue: On June 6 at 12:30 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch alerted Forest Rangers to a hiker with an ankle injury one mile from the summit of Buck Mountain. Pilot Knob Fire Department and Queensbury EMS staged their UTV approximately 1.5 miles up the trail and hiked the rest of the way up with Rangers Clute, Morehouse, and Quinones. Rescuers used a wheeled litter to transport the 49-year-old from Vermont to the UTV. At 4:30 p.m., they reached the trailhead. Queensbury EMS transported the patient to the hospital. 

Town of North Elba 
Essex County 
Wilderness Rescues: On June 6 at 4:10 p.m., two Forest Rangers and two Assistant Forest Rangers responded to a call for a hiker with facial swelling in the area of Indian Falls. Rangers met the hiker from New York City at Marcy Dam. The hiker was stung by a bee and the swelling was subsiding. While Rangers assessed the patient, another hiker from Long Island City requested assistance with a broken finger. Rangers assisted both 18-year-olds to their vehicles. Resources were clear at 5:20 p.m.  

Town of North Hudson 
Essex County 
Wilderness Rescue: On June 7 at 1:50 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call about a solo hiker with an unstable ankle injury at the summit of Grace Peak in the Dix Mountain Wilderness. Two other hikers helped the 25-year-old from Fairport off the summit. Rangers met them on the trail, splinted the hiker’s ankle, and assisted them back to the trailhead where the hiker said they would seek medical attention on their own. 

Be sure to properly prepare and plan before entering the backcountry. Visit DEC’s “Hike Smart NY,” “Adirondack Backcountry,” and “Catskill Backcountry Information” webpages for more information.    

If a person needs a Forest Ranger, whether it’s for a search and rescue, to report a wildfire, or to report illegal activity on State lands and easements, they should call 833-NYS-RANGERS. If a person needs urgent assistance, they can call 911. To contact a Forest Ranger for information about a specific location, the DEC website has phone numbers for every Ranger listed by region.