WNYT reports that so far this spring, wildfires have burned more than 400 acres in New York. There have been recent wildfires locally in Albany, Schoharie, Otsego, and Orange counties. Slingerlands Fire Chief Craig Sleurs said, “I believe this year started out with a lot more than past years.... We had a lot of wind and that doesn’t help and the dryness of the ground. People think with all the rain that it wouldn’t be that dry but the wind dries the ground out, dries leaves out and everything starts burning on top.” Open burning causes the most wildfires, and there a ban prohibiting residential burning through May 14. Read more about this story at the WNYT website.