Warm and drying March winds and a winter of minimal precipitation, have combined to heightens dangers of wildfires and to focus attention on these dangers the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has designated March 19-25 as Wildfire Prevention Week.

"Forests are a renewable resource, but they quickly can be endangered by acts of carelessness," said DiBerardinis. "People are responsible for 98 percent of wildfires. A mere spark by a careless person can touch off a devastating forest blaze during dry periods when conditions are especially ripe for wildfires to spread."

Nearly 85 percent of Pennsylvania's wildfires occur in March, April and May, before the greening of state woodlands and brush lands. Wildfires - named for their rapid spread through dormant dry vegetation under windy conditions - destroy nearly 10,000 acres of state forest - and even more private land annually - and threaten life, property and the sustainability of our valuable natural resources.

Campers and other state forest visitors are reminded that open fires are prohibited on state forestland when the fire danger is listed as high, very high, or extreme, unless authorized by the district forester. To protect life and property, communities in heavily wooded areas are urged to follow wildfire prevention and suppression methods approved by the Pennsylvania Firewise Community Program.

For more information, visit the 2006 Wildfire Prevention webpage.

3/17/2006