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NY State Dry Spell Prompts Warnings To NY Boaters, Campers

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- State officials are warning campers and boaters of a high fire danger and low water levels in the state due to hot weather and a lack of rain over the past 10 days.

With temperatures topping 90 degrees Friday in parts of the New York, Rochester was opening cooling centers at libraries, opening fire hydrants and extending hours at city pools.

The U.S. Drought Monitor is reporting abnormally dry conditions in Clinton, Franklin, Northern Essex, Western Hamilton, Lewis and Oneida counties.

To contain the risk of rampant fire, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state would institute a statewide residential ban on burning for 90 days.

The Department of Environmental Conservation said three brushfires in the Adirondacks have burned eight acres of wild lands. One was started by an unattended campfire.

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On Thursday, one fire scorched about two acres of state forest near Lake Placid.

A boating warning will also be issued to warn residents about exposed rocks due to low water level.

(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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