Forest Rangers joined Ranger School students from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry to conduct a prescribed fire.

The fire was conducted on .6 acres of land on East Boundary Road, according to DEC officials.

In addition to propagating warm season grasses, the burn served as a training tool for new wildland firefighters.

Prescribed fire is an important land management tool used to improve habitat for lands and wildlife, DEC said in a press release. The burns are regulated by law and regulation and require technical expertise to conduct safely.

Controlled burns help prevent the spread of invasive species, and in some areas, prescribed fire is also used to reduce the buildup of wood, timber litter, and other hazards that fuel fires in order to reduce the potential for wildfires that threaten public safety and critical infrastructure.

DEC says they carefully and responsibly implement prescribed fires only when conditions are favorable to meet land management goals.