DEC: NY sees reduction in wildfires | News

The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced Friday that there has been a 60 percent reduction of wildfires in New York since the burn ban went into effect. The ban officially ended on May 15.

The DEC said that 20 percent of the fires that occurred during this year’s spring wildfires in upstate New York were caused by people burning debris. This is down 51 percent from 2000 through 2009, before the burning ban took effect.

According to the DEC, this information indicates that spring 2012 had 60 percent less wildfires than the average of the previous 10 years before the regulations and burning ban.

A list of questions and answers on the open burning regulation is available at by clicking here.