A few sprinkles aren't going to douse the threat of brush fires.

Bare branches, thick layers of dry leaves and lack of green vegetation in the early spring provide fuel for accidental fires.Coupled with strong breezes typical of this time of year, the potential for disaster looms large. April and May are peak months for wildfires, according to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.So far this year, 150 brush fires have burned 250 acres, said DCNR spokesman Terry Brady. Last year, 681 spring brush fires destroyed 3,945 acres in the state.They included 47 fires in District 17, which includes Lehigh and Northampton counties, 95 in District 18, which includes Carbon and Schuylkill counties, and 22 in District 19, which includes Monroe County.On Sunday, several carbon County fire companies fought a brush fire that raged along Long Run Road in Franklin Township.The U.S. Forest Service's Wildfire Assessment System places the risk of brush fires in our region at a moderate level today.One of the major causes of forest fires in Pennsylvania is debris burning, according to DCNR. Last year, debris burning accounted for 376 fires that destroyed 937 acres.Nesquehoning and Jim Thorpe boroughs and Penn Forest Township have enacted burn bans in the wake of brush fires this past weekend. As of Tuesday morning, only one county, Susquehanna, had enacted a countywide burn ban, Brady said.Burn bans prohibit the burning of papers, leaves, or anything else in burn barrels or on the ground. Unless specifically barred, people can still use propane or gas stoves and charcoal briquette grills. Camp fires are allowed in the fire rings that confine and contain the camp fire in a designated state, federal or Department of Environmental Protection licensed campground.Not only do wildfires endanger animals, woodlands and buildings, they also put people at risk."My main concern is the safety of first responders. Peoples' carelessness or neglect can put them in danger," said Carbon County Emergency Management Coordinator Mark Nalesnik.