Drought can contribute to wildfire damage in two ways. Things burn easier when they're dry. And there's not enough water to put them out. Arthur Kaplan is emergency coordinator for Schuylkill County. He says fire crews have to take water from wherever they can find it.

"Many of our areas are rural and do not have a fire hydrant system, so therefore tanker shuttles or reservoirs in a nearby area, swimming pools. Whatever it takes to put out a fire, especially those that might be working its way towards a residential area."

Kaplan says the county has instituted a 30-day ban on outdoor burning. He says that includes burning trash... and careless activities like throwing cigarette butts out the window. And while it's probably safe to barbecue, as long as someone's keeping an eye on the grill, Kaplan says campfires can constitute a safety hazard.

"We have been known in the past to give exemptions to campgrounds that are properly supported by the proper type of burning areas. Just making sure you're burning on some sort of solid material, concrete or whatever, a wall around the campfire area, those sorts of things."

Schuylkill County is just one of many areas around the state implementing burn-bans. Most of southeastern Pennsylvania is still under drought emergency or drought warning status.

More information's available on the web at GreenWorks.tv. I'm Brad Linder