SHANDAKEN, N.Y. — An unattended campfire that spread to near the summit of Rocky Mountain and required state police bucket drops is still being monitored, the state Department of Environmental Conservation said Tuesday.

At 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3, a forest ranger responded to the mountain for a report of a small but unattended campfire that had spread. The fire was a three- to four-mile hike on a “remote, trailless peak,” the department said.

The following day, the ranger was joined by two other rangers, according to a press release.

“Rangers removed hazardous trees from the fire area and used hand tools to expose underground heat in preparation for nighttime precipitation,” the department said. “Despite the rain, the fire grew to 20 feet by 30 feet.”

On Monday, Sept. 8, rangers w

See Full Page