For the average Maryland resident, the threat of wildfires is a distant problem. Across the United States, the largest amount of the more than 8 million acres consumed so far this year has been in states like California, Georgia and Texas, locations with massive forests or sprawling grasslands prone to dry conditions and high temperatures. Yet it happens in the Mid-Atlantic as well — and perhaps more often than the average city or suburban dweller realizes. Last Friday, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources officially declared a statewide ban on open-air burning because the lack of rainfall has caused a heightened risk of wildfire.

On a very practical level, this means that lighting a campfire is now against the law. A first offense can result in a $300 fine. And the problem goes further. Charcoal grilling in the open is banned as well (although propane grills are allowed). As long as the DNR burn ban is in effect, state law prohibits any type of outdoor burning done in the open or in a receptacle other than a furnace, incinerator, or other equipment connected to a stack or chimney. The problem is amplified on days like last Friday where high winds could have potentially spread a potentially deadly blaze which is why the National Weather Service also issued a Red Flag Warning that day as gusts of up to 18 miles per hour were reported in the Baltimore area.

Maryland hasn’t faced a full burn ban since 2006 yet it’s not uncommon for the state (and counties) to impose some lesser restrictions. Nor should the declaration come as much of a surprise to hikers, campers and others who regularly experience the outdoors. The state received less than 25% of the usual precipitation in October with some counties faring even worse. In October, DNR fire crews responded to more than 24 wildfires that have burned 75 acres. That is more than three times the 10-year average of 7 wildfires burning 21 acres for the month.

The rain will likely return to Maryland soon enough but the heightened threat of wildfires (and periodic droughts) will not be going away. Scientists believe that as climate change pushes global temperatures higher, the frequency and severity of wildfires will increase. And while it may take years, if not generations, to fully respond to this existential threat of climate change, it’s simple enough to exercise some necessary caution right here and right now and comply with the temporary burn ban.