Aug 25, 2006 — Heavy rains this summer have meant few forest fires in the Adirondacks. North Country firefighters returned this month from keeping their skills sharp in the dry West. Adam Pickett was among a 19-person crew from New York that worked on the Bald and Rush forest fires in southern and northern California for two weeks. Pickett is a DEC forest ranger in the Old Forge-Herkimer County area. He told David Sommerstein he was part of a hand crew that fights wildfires on foot.