(FISHKILL, NY) The Rombout Fire Department is advising residents that conditions are ripe for brush fires and individuals should take care to avoid accidentally starting one.
"The heavy undergrowth is being dried out. People just have to be careful," said Rombout spokesman Kevin Barry. "People have to be watch out for things, like throwing cigarette butts out of car windows, barbeques and fireplace embers."
The state Department of Environmental Conservation prohibits burning brush between March 16 and May 14, due to the increased risk of wildfires.