New York State Burn Ban comes to an end
(WBNG) -- New York State's spring burn ban will conclude on Friday. The annual ban prohibits open burning in order to decrease the number of wildfires during the spring months before vegetation greens up.
Even with the ban in place, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers responded to eight wildfires across Broome, Tioga, Delaware, and Chenango County this spring. These fires burned more than 80 acres in total. This was up from the spring of 2020 when only one fire was reported across these counties.
Going forward, officials are still cautioning people about burning debris. James McPherson, a Forest Ranger explains that just because the burn ban is coming to a close, it does not negate fire danger. People who are planning on burning debris need to be smart about it and pay attention to the weather.