As drought conditions deepened across the Catskills last week, the towns of Hunter and Shandaken declared local states of emergency and issued temporary burn bans. The orders, signed Sept. 20 and 21, prohibit outdoor burning of yard waste, bonfires, and campfires in an effort to reduce wildfire risk at a time when local fire companies have limited resources to respond. Although rain returned later in the week, officials said the restrictions are necessary to safeguard public safety until conditions improve.

The Ashokan Reservoir and Big Deep in Woodstock during drought conditions. The Ashokan Reservoir’s 255-square-mile watershed stretches across 11 towns, including Denning, Hardenburgh, Hurley, Kingston, Marbletown, Olive, Shandaken and Woodstock in Ulster County; Hunter and Lexington in Greene County; and Middletown in Delaware County. Photos by Michael Sofronski for The Overlook.

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Michael Sofronski is a photojournalist and portrait photographer whose career began at The Village Voice, where he discovered his passion for telling stories through images. His work has appeared in The...