SHE JOINS US LIVE FROM GRAY.. HI TALIA...WHAT ARE OFFICIALS SAYING ABOUT WHY THE RISK IS SO HIGH RIGHT NOW? WILDFIRE DANGER IS HIGH THIS TIME OF YEAR.. BECAUSE OF HOW DRY EVERYTHING IS.. ALL THE DEAD LEAVES AND DEBRIS STILL ON THE GROUND.. CAN ACT AS FUEL.. THE WIND CAN CAUSE A FIRE TO SPREAD QUICKLY. THAT'S WHY MANY FIRE DEPARTMENTS ARE NOT ISSUING BURN PERMITS. <SOT HALE FITZGERALD / DEPUTY CHIEF> 17;11;43 "EVEN THOUGH IT'S BEEN PRETTY RAINY AND WE HAD A FAIR AMOUNT OF SNOW IN MARCH AND APRIL.. A LOT OF DRY FUELS THAT ARE PRETTY EASY TO IGNITE SUCH AS DRY GRASS AND LEAVES WILDFIRE IN GRAY OVER THE WEEKEND.. THERE WAS ALSO A FIRE IN A WOODED AREA OF NEW GLOUCESTER JUST LAST WEEK.. DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF HALE FITZGERALD SAYS, THAT ONE WAS CAUSED BY A CAMPFIRE THAT WAS NOT PROPERLY EXTINGUISHED. THE FIRE BURNED 3 AND A HALF ACRES. HALE FITZGERALD / DEPUTY CHIEF "A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK OH THAT MIGHT NOT HAPPEN TO ME.. BUT IT ONLY TAKES THAT ONE TIME AND I WOULDN'T WANT IT TO BE CATASTROPHIC AND DAMAGE SOMEONE'S HOME, PROPERTY OR ENDANGER SOMEBODY'S LIFE." ACCORDING TO A NEW LAW THAT WENT INTO EFFECT LAST PERMIT FOR ANY CAMPFIRE THAT IS LARGER THAN 3 FEET IN HEIGHT AND 3 FEET IN DIAMETER. SO, IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A BONFIRE.. YOU'LL NEED A PERMIT NOW. BURN PERMITS ARE AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE ON THE STATE'S WEBSITE EVERYDAY AFTER 9AM. SARGENT ART LAVOIE WITH THE MAINE FOREST SERVICE SAYS MOST WILDFIRES ARE CAUSED BY HUMANS.. SO, IT IS IMPORTANT TO PROPERLY EXTINGUISH ANY CAMPFIRE OR BRUSH FIRE YOU START. <SOT SGT. ART LAVOIE / MAINE FOREST SERVICE> 17;21;48 "I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE A FIRE, CAMPFIRE OR BURNED BRUSH.. THE FIRE IS DOWN, THERE'S NO FLAMES, THEY SEE A LITTLE BIT OF SMO