Open Fire Ban Ordered For Westchester County Parks

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — As the risk of wildfires in the region grows, Westchester County has banned open fires in county parks.

From the Westchester County Government.

Due to the dry conditions an open fire ban has been issued for Westchester County Parks effective immediately.

The wooded environment in the parks, including camping sites and remote areas have an increased risk of fire due to the significant shortage of rainfall this season. While this ban is in effect, charcoal and propane fires will only be permitted for cooking in permanently fixed grills in the parks.

Safety tips on the open fire ban and drought watch include:

• Where camp fires are permitted, limit their size and never leave one unattended. Make sure it has been fully extinguished before leaving a campsite.
• The burning of tree limbs or other organic debris is not permitted while the burn ban is in effect.
• Safely dispose of any charcoal used in a grill or ashes from wood burned in a fireplace.
• Extinguish cigarettes and other lightened materials safely and do not drop them in any wooded or grassy area.
• If you observe any smoke or small fire in any park or wooded area, please call 911 immediately so it can be quickly contained.

Further details are available on The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s website.

This release was produced by the Westchester County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.