MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — The Smokey Bear sign along Route 611 in Swiftwater reads high risk for fires.
Officials with DCNR say spring in northeastern Pennsylvania is usually peak fire season – but this fall has been abnormally dry.
"Sometimes we will have fires in the fall but they are hit or miss and spread out. Our staff is is concerned right now that we have a long period of dryness alot of fuel that is laying around and it doesn't look like there is good long soaking rain ahead," said Tim Dugan District Forester with DCNR.
That lack of rain mixed with dry leaves and sticks has created a perfect recipe for wildfires.
"The humidity levels have been so low that it makes it beautiful weather for us to be outside and enjoy being in nature, but it is drying those fuels out and not allowing moisture to stay," explained Dugan.
Tim Dugan is a district forester with DCNR. He says over the weekend fire crews and DCNR crews were busy putting out fires in several parts of the north east.
Officials say there are things people can do to prevent fires from happening, like following township and state forestry burn bans.
"We expect that high fire danger rating is going to last probably several more weeks because we just need to be very careful," said Dugan.
Dugan says ideally, the northeast region needs rain every 3 to 4 days over several weeks before that rating will go down.
"So that's the kind of pattern we are looking to get into that will help us rally dampen the fuels and compact some of these grasses and leaves," said Dugan.