Brush Fire Season​: Golden’s Bridge Fire Department Sounds Alarm

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — This is the time of year when small acts of careless behavior by a single person can create big problems.

From the Golden's Bridge Fire Department

As nature awakens from its winter slumber, spring may not be the only thing in the air in the weeks ahead. This is also the season for heightened risk of brush fires, according to the Golden’s Bridge Fire Department, which is calling attention to New York’s annual statewide springtime "burn ban" — which is enforced every year to help reduce the risk of wildfires and protect lives and property.

The 2022 annual burn ban, recently announced by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), goes into effect on March 16 and lasts through May 14. This seasonal burn ban is part of the open burning regulations established by the state in 2009.

The Golden’s Bridge Fire Department responds to multiple brush fires each year. Golden’s Bridge Firefighters also participate annually in training drills to sharpen their skills and various methods in fighting brush fires.

"With the increased potential for brush fires during springtime, we all need to do our part - and that means complying with open burn restrictions, and immediately calling 9-1-1 to report smoke or fire along a roadside or in the brush of a wooded area. Timely response could mean the difference between our Firefighters containing – and ultimately extinguishing – a brush fire, or the fire possibly spreading and becoming a threat to human life, homes and property," said Golden’s Bridge Fire Chief Albert Melillo.

"At this time of year, flicking a lit cigarette from a car window could have deadly consequences if it creates a spark on dry brush. Vigilance is our best defense in protecting our families, property and community, as well as natural resources and wildlife," the Golden’s Bridge Fire Chief added.

Melillo said that gaining an understanding of the science helps to explain how the potential for brush and other wildfires increases dramatically during springtime.

"According to conservation experts, warming temperatures and dried grass, leaves, shrubs and bushes from the previous year’s fall season - which serve as a brush fire’s fuel - react with oxygen and release heat. When combined with other elements like wind currents, and the absence of green vegetation, brush fires can easily start and spread quickly," the Golden’s Bridge Fire Chief said.

Brush fires are also dangerous because they release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. “The experts say that brush fires release soot and other aerosols into the Earth’s atmosphere that affect global warming and cooling and are responsible for starting an endless cycle that contributes to climate change and its harmful effects,” said Melillo.

The state’s open burning restrictions were also designed to help reduce air pollution by eliminating harmful particulates - the microscopic solids and liquid droplets that cause serious health problems when inhaled - that are unleashed during open burning.

While open burning of leaves, brush, household garbage and other debris is prohibited in most counties in the state, including Westchester, the DEC website lists a handful of open burn exceptions – among other things, maple sugar processing, a seasonal treat – for which only charcoal and dry, clean, non-chemically treated and unpainted wood can be used. Visit the DEC website for a complete list of the open burn exceptions.

Melillo said that whenever there is a moderate risk for brush fires and wildfires anywhere in the state, the DEC posts these locations on its website on the “Fire Danger Map” for the 2022 fire season. The website also has a list of the agency’s regional offices and additional information about open burning restrictions.

This fire safety information was provided courtesy of the Golden's Bridge Fire Department.