FIRE BAN IN EFFECT In response to the continued elevated risk of wildfires, DEM has issued a fire ban at all State Parks, campgrounds, and management areas until further notice. The ban is effective as of today (10/28/24) and includes campfires in designated campfire areas, including charcoal fires and cooking fires. This preventative measure applies to all DEM-managed lands and aims to reduce the threat of human-caused wildfires. DEM will continue to monitor and evaluate conditions to determine when the ban can be lifted. Together we can protect our communities and keep first responders safe by reducing the risk of wildfires: 📞 Call 911 if you spot a fire/smoke. Timely information is critical to contain fires before they spread. 🔥 Remember, any outdoor fire is a potential source for a wildfire. Be careful with cigarettes and ashes. When disposing of wood stove ashes, put the ashes in a metal bucket of water. 🚒 Check with your local fire department for any other restrictions and permitting information. 🚨 Stay informed and find resources at dem.ri.gov/wildfirestatus.
State Land Stewardship DEM Division of Agriculture and Forest Environment shares responsibility with the Division of Fish & Wildlife for over 40,000 acres of state-owned forest land, maintaining them as valued environmental, economic, and social/recreation resources. Healthy forests can look quite different depending on their age, the tree species composition, and how the tree species grow. Well-managed forests provide many benefits for water, people, and wildlife that depend on different types of forests at different stages of growth, from young to mature. Management practices include forest thinning to prevent crowding of trees that can make them more susceptible to diseases and pests, prescribed fire to reduce the growth of invasive plants and other competing vegetation, and trail maintenance and litter control to help keep forests healthy from outside pressures. Wildfire Training, Resources & Prescribed Burning Forest Health: Timber Harvests Forest Stewards Volunteer Program (coming soon) Solid Waste/Litter Dumping (coming soon)