Will a Fear of Fires Burn New York?

This story originally appeared in New York Focus, a non-profit news publication investigating how power works in New York state. Sign up for their newsletter here.Prescribed burns are banned in New York’s largest tracts of forest, but some rangers say they need to torch the brush to save the trees.The state of New York has historically enjoyed conditions that suppress the occurrence of wildfires. However, with the increasing intensity of heat waves and erratic shifts between heavy rainfall and extended dry spells, these favorable conditions could change in the future.And as we started the summer with smoke from wildfires just to the north of us in Canada…Then there’s the question of prescribed burns, controlled fires intentionally set to manage vegetation. Prescribed burns are currently prohibited in New York's largest forest areas but some forest rangers argue that they are Jason Dole speaks to  NY Focus Reporter - Nathan Porceng