Locally, the ground is dry, and a residential brush burning ban remains in effect through May 14. In the past week there have been reports of brush fires in Hillsdale, Jewett, New Baltimore, Catskill, Greenville, Clermont, and Tannersville. The National Weather Service also has an "Elevated" Fire Weather Outlook for much of Connecticut, and Western and Central Massachusetts. On April 19, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation warned that most of the state was at high risk for brush fires. "Red flag warnings have been issued for the Upper Hudson Valley/Lake Champlain area, the Hudson Valley Region from Albany south, the Catskill Mountain region, in New York City and on Long Island," the DEC statement said. The National Weather Service predicts rain for Friday, and again on Monday, so some of the fire risk may be abated.