Fort Drum, N.Y. (Tribune News Service) — A fire burning on an artillery range at Fort Drum in Jefferson County cannot be reached by firefighters due to safety concerns over unexploded artillery, a military spokesperson said.

The fire is on Range 48, an ordnance impact area, which soldiers use to test weapons and artillery, according to Fort Drum spokesperson Julie Halpin.

“The fire is several acres,” she said Saturday. “It’s hard to speculate on size because we cannot see directly into that area.”

Firefighters would be able to knock the fire down if it came close to structures or people, she said.

Smoke from the fire has reached parts of Fowler, Antwerp and Gouverneur due to winds coming from the south, Halpin said.

The fire was started last weekend by artillery practice, according to Halpin. It was knocked down by rain on Wednesday but rekindled on Friday.

Conditions on the range are dry and there is brush build-up, she said.

Soldiers have continued artillery training as the fire has burned since the range “represents a small percentage of training space,” Halpin said.

The fire has not caused any damage.

“We drop bombs there,” Halpin said. “Damage on the range isn’t a concern.”

New York state issued a burn ban last week because of a lingering drought that has led to a high wildfire risk in many parts of the state.

Much of the state is now considered at high risk of wildfires. High risk means that dry leaves and sticks ignite rapidly, and brush and campfires are likely to escape, the DEC said.

Fort Drum, home of the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division, covers 107,265 acres. It is home to more than 31,000 soldiers and their families.

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