Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday, Oct. 2 announced a statewide ban on outdoor fires for burning brush and debris, cooking and campfires as dry conditions increase the risk of wildland fires across New York.
The burn ban will be in place through Oct. 15 when the state Department of Environmental Conservation will determine whether it should continue.
“Many regions are already in a drought watch or warning due to the dry conditions, and with the fire risk rising in some parts of the state, it is important to keep everyone safe by implementing this temporary burn ban,” Hochul said in a statement.
Backyard fire pits, campfires less than three feet in height and four feet in length, width or diameter are allowed as well as small, contained cooking fires.
The state already bans the burning of garbage or leaves and several local municipalities have already instituted their own burn bans.
Firefighters respond
The state’s Forest Rangers have responded to 64 wildland fires since the beginning of August.
“New Yorkers can help keep them (firefighters) and our resources safe by working to prevent fires in the first place,” said state DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton.
High fire danger conditions exist in the Southern Tier, Lake Ontario Plains, St. Lawrence, Adirondack, High Peaks and Upper Hudson Champlain danger rating areas.
To access the DEC’s fire danger map go here.
Last fall, weeks of dry weather led to statewide drought warnings, while wildland fires in Orange County destroyed over 5,300 acres. Hundreds of brush fires broke out in the lower Hudson Valley as well as Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Schools closed and homes were evacuated in the Orange County town of Warwick while firefighters worked to contain the Jennings Creek wildfire.
Thomas C. Zambito covers energy, transportation and economic growth for the USA Today Network’s New York State team. He’s won dozens of state and national writing awards from the Associated Press, Investigative Reporters and Editors, the Deadline Club and others during a decades-long career that’s included stops at the New York Daily News, The Star-Ledger of Newark and The Record of Hackensack. He can be reached at tzambito@lohud.com.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Gov. Hochul issues burn ban across New York as dry conditions persist. What it means
Reporting by Thomas C. Zambito, New York State Team / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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