Outdoor Burn Ban Lifted In New Hampshire Despite Lingering Drought Conditions

CONCORD, NH — Gov. Kelly Ayotte has issued a proclamation lifting the recent statewide prohibition on the kindling of any open fire and smoking in or near woodlands.

The Executive Council approved it at today’s Governor and Council meeting. The initial ban was put in place Sept. 22 due to high wildfire danger statewide, a result of New Hampshire experiencing the driest summer on record since 1895.

“This brief outdoor burn ban helped keep our great outdoors safe during a busy time for camping and hiking,” said Gov. Ayotte. “I want to thank Granite Staters for their understanding and assistance as we took this important step to protect our forests, and I am glad to be able to lift the burn ban today."

As a result of the outdoor burn ban being lifted, the kindling of open fires, including fires built for camping, the burning of debris or warming, are now allowed if a permit has been obtained. Smoking in or near public woodlands or on public trails is now also allowed. Anyone interested in having an outdoor fire in New Hampshire must first obtain a permit, either at the municipality where the burn will take place or via nhfirepermit.com.

Residents and visitors are asked to remain extremely cautious about all fires, as the nights get colder, and to remember to dispose of all wood stove ash safely by placing completely cooled ashes in a covered metal container away from their home or any other buildings and flammable materials.

“We’re not out of the woods yet, so to speak, in regard to New Hampshire’s drought conditions,” Chief Steven Sherman of the N.H. Forest Protection Bureau, said. “While the recent rain has helped make up for the deficit we’ve experienced this year, the increase in dried leaves and grasses on the ground that accumulate in the fall, combined with seasonal winds that accelerate drying them out, means that there’s still existing wildfire risk.”

New Hampshire, the second-most-forested state in the nation, experienced a tenfold increase in both wildfire occurrences and acreage burned in August and September of this year compared with the same period in 2024.

The N.H. Forest Protection Bureau is part of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources’ Division of Forests and Lands, which protects and promotes the value provided by trees, forestsand natural communities.

For more information about the Division of Forests and Lands and the work of its Forest Protection Bureau, visit nhdfl.dncr.nh.gov or call 603-271-2214.

Submitted by the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources’ Division of Forests and Lands