Dry, windy conditions have increased fire risk across the state and fueled ongoing wildfires UPDATE: The statewide burning ban implemented by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Nov. 1, remains in effect. While most of the state experienced varying amounts of rain earlier this week, fuel and drought conditions continue to be well above normal Read the Rest…
Acreage burned by wildfires in 2023 was more than double the 10-year average, with one significant fire responsible for the increase The number of wildfires and the acreage of land burned by wildfires in Maryland last year significantly outpaced the 10-year average, according to the Maryland Forest Service’s Annual Wildland Fire Report. The report, which Read the Rest…
DNR oversees dozens of controlled fires annually to manage Maryland woodland areas It was a chilly morning in the Frederick Watershed and the woods were quiet and peaceful. Without the sound of even a passing bird, a stillness filled the air between the nearly bare trees. But at the intersection of two rocky roads deep Read the Rest…
Funding provided to 52 volunteer fire departments in 17 counties The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forest Service awarded Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) grants to 52 volunteer fire departments across the state to enhance wildland fire protection in rural communities. For 2023, the Maryland Forest Service awarded grant funds totaling $149,325 in match funding Read the Rest…
Department of Natural Resources Stresses Preparedness, Prevention Spring wildfire season has begun in Maryland, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources urges residents across the state to prepare and help prevent wildfires. Wildfire occurrence is highest in the spring and fall when forest fuels are the driest and weather conditions — warm, dry, and windy Read the Rest…
Local Departments Get Funding to Enhance Wildfire Protection The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forest Service announced the awarding of Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) grants to 53 volunteer fire departments in 15 counties across the state. The projects to be funded help volunteer fire companies enhance their wildland fire protection in rural communities.
DNR Stresses Preparedness, Prevention Spring wildfire season has begun in Maryland, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) urges residents across the state to prepare and help prevent wildfires. Wildfire occurrence is highest in the spring and fall when forest fuels are the driest and weather conditions — warm, dry, and windy — are Read the Rest…
Celebrating Our Earth this Spring As we continue to recover from the pandemic, I am more enthused than ever to welcome back spring and get outside. April in particular is a month full of events and opportunities to highlight our state’s amazing natural resources. In fact, it is becoming known as “Earth Month” for its Read the Rest…
Marylanders Urged to Take Precautions Spring wildfire season has begun in Maryland, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources urges residents across the state to prepare and help prevent wildfires. Wildfire occurrence is highest in the spring and fall when forest fuels are the driest and weather conditions — warm, dry, and windy — are Read the Rest…
Governor Hogan Addresses DNR Crews That Battled Fires in 11 States Maryland’s wildland firefighters who served on interagency crews nationwide through the busy and challenging 2020 wildfire season were honored recently in a virtual recognition event. Governor Larry Hogan addressed the firefighters with a recorded greeting and Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio Read the Rest…
DNR Team Makes First Interagency Deployment of 2020 Maryland has dispatched a 10-person fire crew module to battle wildfires in the Rocky Mountains. Maryland State (MDS) #1 mobilized July 15 at the Green Ridge Fire Center in Allegany County. The unit arrived early Friday at Rocky Mountain Mobilization Center in Cheyenne, Wyo., and will deploy Read the Rest…
Maryland on Alert for Dangerous Conditions Spring wildfire season has begun in Maryland, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources urges residents across the state to prepare and help prevent wildfires. Wildfire occurrence is highest in the spring when forest fuels are the driest and weather conditions — warm, dry, and windy — are most Read the Rest…
Marylanders Urged to Take Extra Precautions The Maryland Department of Natural Resources warns residents and visitors that potential for wildfires has steadily increased in the past several weeks due to a lack of rain and unseasonably high temperatures. While open-air burning is legal in parts of Maryland, the department strongly encourages homeowners to refrain from Read the Rest…
First Out-of-State Deployment of the Season Maryland has assembled and mobilized a crew of wildland firefighters to help battle ongoing wildfires in northern California as part of a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. It’s the first out-of-state deployment for a Maryland crew this season. The 20-person crew assembled this weekend Read the Rest…
Maryland Forest Service Prepared for Wildfire Activity Spring wildfire season has begun in Maryland, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources urges residents across Maryland to prepare and help prevent wildfires. “Wildfire occurrence is highest in the spring when forest fuels are the driest and weather conditions are at the optimum for fire spread,” Maryland Forest Read the Rest…
Marylanders Urged to Take Extra Precautions Fire Prevention Week begins Oct. 7, coinciding with the beginning of the fall wildfire season in Maryland. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources urges residents throughout the state to take precautions as the changing foliage increases the risks of wildland fires spreading through brush and forests. Wildfires occur every month in Read the Rest…
49 Fire Departments in 17 Counties Receive $104,099 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced the 2018 Volunteer Fire Assistance grants to 49 volunteer fire departments. The projects, distributed throughout 17 counties, aim to assist volunteer fire companies and departments enhance wildland fire protection in rural areas and communities. The Maryland Forest Service awarded $104,099 in Read the Rest…
Team Battling Tenmile Fire in Montana Maryland has assembled and mobilized its second crew of wildland firefighters to battle raging wildfires in the Western United States, as part of a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. Maryland State (MDS) #2 has been dispatched to battle the Tenmile Fire, which is burning Read the Rest…
Department Deploys First Crew of 2018 Season Maryland has dispatched a 20-person fire crew to battle wildfires in the western United States. Maryland State (MDS) #1 mobilized July 6 at the Madonna Ranger Station in Harford County. The unit will join five other crews from the mid-Atlantic at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, Read the Rest…
Department Co-Sponsors Annual Skills Program Nearly three dozen Maryland Forest Service firefighters have received certification through the 2018 Mid-Atlantic Wildfire Training Academy, held recently in Garrett County. More than 180 students participated in the academy, which was hosted at Garrett College by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources along with Mid-Atlantic Forest Fire Compact and the U.S. Forest Service. Read the Rest…
Funds Provide Financial and Technical Assistance to Enhance Capabilities In Maryland, about 5,000 wildfires are reported each year, and more than 300 volunteer fire departments across the state respond to these blazes, which, on average, burn less than 10 acres. To assist local fire departments, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources is once again offering critical grant Read the Rest…
Marylanders Urged to Take Precautions; Maryland Forest Service Prepared Wildfire season has begun in the Old Line State, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources urges residents throughout the state to take precautions. Each year, the Maryland Forest Service responds to an average of 210 wildfires that burn about 2,325 acres. Wildfires occur every month in Maryland, but peak Read the Rest…
Department Provides a Record $102,548 to 45 Departments in 17 Counties The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced today that a record number of volunteer fire departments applied for and received Volunteer Fire Assistance Grants in 2017, resulting in the most funding distributed in state history. “Volunteer Fire Assistance Grants allow us to support our first Read the Rest…
Seven members of the Maryland Forest Service have been called into service to assist national efforts to combat a Northern California wildfire raging in the Klamath National Forest. They will join their Maryland Department of Natural Resources colleagues from the Maryland Park Service and Wildlife and Heritage Service, and a cadre of volunteer firefighters as Read the Rest…
Maryland’s first 20-person wildland fire crew of 2017, MDS #1, has been dispatched to battle wildfires in the Rocky Mountain Area of Colorado. The fully trained, certified and equipped crew was mobilized at the Madonna Ranger Station in Harford County July 8. They will join other crews from the mid-Atlantic region in Colorado over the Read the Rest…
Grants Provide Financial and Technical Assistance to Enhance Capabilities In Maryland, about 5,000 wildfires start each and every year, and more than 300 volunteer fire departments across the state respond to these blazes. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is now offering volunteer fire departments access to critical grant funding through its Volunteer Fire Assistance Program to help fortify and strengthen Read the Rest…
Spring is Peak Season for Wildland Fire Wildfire season has begun in Maryland, and the Department of Natural Resources is urging extra precautions in light of a drought warning across parts of the state. “We’ve already battled a number of wildfires and had several high risk days,” Maryland Forest Service State Fire Supervisor Monte R. Read the Rest…