Burn ban in effect for Orange County

On Monday, October 28 County Executive Steve Neuhaus issued Executive Order No. 13 of 2024, declaring a State of Emergency in Orange County prohibiting certain burning activities, citing the “prolonged dry weather conditions” the county and surrounding areas have been experiencing.

“The beautiful, dry weather we’ve been enjoying comes with a consequence,” stated Neuhaus. “Over the past week, there have been numerous brush fires in the region, including in Orange County. These fires endanger the public and our first responders and we must do what we can to mitigate these dangers while conditions remain ripe for fire spread. My Executive Order will help to keep residents and visitors safe.”

The executive order states that the dry weather has created “a real, immediate and continued danger of wildfires and fire-related hazard,” resulting in a “perilous effect on the lives and safety of the inhabitants that live in the effected portions of the county, and which require immediate measures to protect the lives, health and safety of the public.”

The state Department of Environmental Conservation currently lists the Hudson Valley as being at high risk of fire. Further, according to the Executive Order, the National Integrated Drought Information System currently lists Orange County as being “abnormally dry” and notes that September 2024 was the eighth driest September on record for Orange County over the past 130 years.

The Executive Order prohibits residents from the following activities: “All outdoor burning of any material, including, but not limited to, yard waste, household paper products, bonfires, campfires, warming fires, outdoor fireplaces, outdoor chimneys and any cooking fires unless such an activity is expressly authorized by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.”

The Executive Order also provides the following exceptions: outdoor cooking for food within a contained gas or charcoal grill, any firefighting training, and any burn operations expressly approved by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

The Executive Order took effect immediately and will continue until Neuhaus declares the State of Emergency no longer necessary.