New York’s annual statewide burn ban went into effect on Monday, March 16.
Lighting brush fires is prohibited statewide until May 14.
The ban prohibits uncontained fires of any kind, including burning brush, trash or leaves. Bonfires are also prohibited.
Contained fires, such as a fire no larger than 3 feet high and 4 feet wide in a fire pit or a small campfire are permitted. Contained cooking fires are also permitted.
The Department of Environmental Conservation said in a statement that rising temperatures can cause wildfire conditions despite dampness from snow melt and even a thin blanket of snow remaining on the ground in some places across the state. The statement said wildfires spread more easily during the spring because of warming temperatures, increased winds and a lack of green vegetation in forests.







Firefighters and other uniformed first responders stand alongside flag bearers during Stanford’s ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Nearly 3,000 American flags covered the hillside at Stanford Recreation Park.Photo by Graham Corrigan
Emergency responders gather near St. Johns Ledges in Kent on Thursday, Sept. 10, after a 30-year-old rock climber fell to his death.Photo by Graham Corrigan




The early September sun greeted students as they stepped off their buses at Webutuck Elementary School for the first day of classes Tuesday, Sept. 8.Photo by Leila Hawken



