This time of year we love to get out and start doing our spring cleanups and tree trimmings. Open burning is banned in New York State from March 16th through May 14th, 2021. This is due to the amount of dead vegetation and low humidity that raise the threat of wildland fires in our area. Open burning is banned in the Town of Newburgh, NY since the population is over 20,000 people. Some exceptions exist for small campfires and ceremonial fires when they are less than 3′ high and 4′ long, but they must be constantly monitored, burn only untreated wood ( No garbage ), and be fully extinguished when unattended to prevent the spread of fire. Agricultural fires and Construction sites must get permits and meet NYS DEC requirements to burn as well as notifying your local fire department prior to burning.
Some may consider fire pits as ceremonial or cooking fires. Keep the safety of yourself and your surroundings in mind when using these devices. Place the pit on a non-combustible surface such as pavers or flat stones They are engineered to be used with a cover that arrests sparks from flying. Have a water hose or buckets of water available to extinguish when done. Use the supplied hooks when placing or removing covers to avoid burns. Use discretion when high winds prevail that could spread sparks and grass fires beyond control. Just like any other open burning, use only untreated wood and no garbage. Use lighter fluids designed to start charcoal if you must, but never use gasoline to start the fire since it can be explosive.
As always we want you to have fun and enjoy the seasons. Be courteous to neighbors when it comes to the smoke coming off camp fires or fire pits. If we get called we will have to extinguish your fire. Agricultural fires and construction sites must have a means to extinguish and be constantly monitored as well. Please don’t put us in that position where we have to extinguish fires. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.