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The Enterprise — Michael Koff

Scorched earth: A 300-foot swath was burned near a baseball field at Farnsworth Middle School in Guilderland on Monday evening. In response to claims that youth had been seen near the site of the fire before it started, Captain Curtis Cox with the Guilderland Police said Tuesday, “Kids may have been in the area at the time but that was nothing related to the fire.” Officials from the Westmere Fire Department sent out a notice reminding people to be cautious when conditions are dry and stating that local regulations restrict outdoor fires and open burning all year. “Where small outdoor fires are permitted for cooking,” the notice said, “it is important to have immediate access to an extinguishing agent appropriate for the fire.”