LAKE PLACID — A wildland fire spread at Pulpit Rock, near Lake Placid lake, early Friday morning, burning a 50-square-foot section of land in a blaze that state officials believe originated from a cooking fire.

The Lake Placid Volunteer Fire Department received a call at 6:20 a.m. on Friday alerting the department about the fire. One truck, two boats and 14 firefighters responded, and the department called the Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department at 6:49 a.m. for mutual aid. SLVFD responded to the call with one truck and five firefighters. Firefighters from both departments said they had to travel across Lake Placid lake by boat to access the scene and put out the fire. Forest rangers with the state Department of Environmental Conservation were also called to the scene at 7:25 a.m., according to DEC officials.

LPVFD driver Matt Wood said on Friday that the fire covered an area of around 30 square feet, though DEC officials said the burned area ended up being closer to 50 square feet. Wood said the fire burned deep into the ground.

“It was kind of stubborn to put out,” he said.

Wood said it looked like there was once a fire pit at the site, and DEC officials said they believe the flames spread from a cooking fire. Wood wasn’t sure whether or not the area was located on private property, but he thought that a lot of people go to that area for swimming.

LPVFD firefighters said they applied both water and fire-extinguishing foam to the blaze, raking the ground to ensure that the fire was snuffed out. DEC officials said that forest rangers extinguished several “hot spots” as late as 3:15 p.m. Friday.

LPVFD was back in service at 10:38 a.m., and SLVFD was back in service at 9:48 a.m.

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High fire danger

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The DEC urged New Yorkers in a press release on Friday to practice campfire safety as hot and dry conditions this summer have led to a drought watch and a high fire danger risk status for the entire state.

“If you build a campfire, keep an eye on it to make sure the wind doesn’t spread it unexpectedly, and when you’re finished, make sure the fire is completely out and cold to the touch,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said in a statement.

High winds can increase the chances of a fire spreading quickly, according to the release, and fires can become serious and hard to control if they’re not extinguished successfully while they’re still small. There were six active fires across the state on Friday, burning 47.1 acres of land, according to the release, and the majority of those were started by unattended campfires.

The DEC encouraged people camping in the backcountry to use existing campfire rings when possible; build campfires away from overhanging branches, steep slopes, rotten stumps, logs, dry grass, and leaves; pile extra wood away from the fire; clear the surrounding area of flammable materials; and to never leave a campfire unattended.