Wildfires in the west have been increasingly massive, engulfing homes and forests, leading to an orange glow in major cities and spreading a thin haze across the continent to the northeast. 

But can something like that happen in New York, in the state's vast Adirondack wilderness region? The good news is: It's highly unlikely, according to Capt. John Streiff, a captain with the Department of Environmental Conservation's forest rangers. 

"We would certainly not see the type of wildfires here in the northeast, specifically in the Adirondacks, like we're seeing out west or in the southwest or the Pacific Northwest," he said. "We just would not see those large conflagrations and moving so quickly and burning so much acreage in the Adirondacks."

That's because these large-scale first need dry weather and rely on the topography specific to the west. The Adirondacks is broken up by swamps and streams and has a wetter climate. 

But that doesn't make the Adirondacks less vulnerable to smaller wildfires started by campers or lightening. 

"Literally in the past couple of weeks, the fires we've had, and they've been kept very small, have been caused by campfires," Streiff said. 

And with more people visiting the region, Streiff urged visitors to remain cautious and make sure campfires are allowed in the region you are in. 

"A camp fire burns into the ground can literally ruin a designated camp site until it recovers," he said.