7 rules for unincorporated Orange County, New York.
Verified from official government sources
Orange County NY follows NY State Fire Code and 6 NYCRR Part 215. Recreational fires allowed in towns under 20,000 population with restrictions. Towns set local rules.
Consumer fireworks illegal in Orange County NY. Sparklers and ground-based sparkling devices legal for persons 18+ under NY General Business Law 156-h.
Orange County NY has no countywide defensible-space statute. NY DEC manages wildfire prevention on state lands including Black Rock Forest, Schunemunk State Park, and Sterling Forest. Individual towns may require nuisance-vegetation abatement.
Open burning regulated by 6 NYCRR Part 215. Statewide brush burn ban March 15-May 15. Burning household trash banned year-round statewide.
Orange County NY has moderate wildfire risk concentrated in the Hudson Highlands, Shawangunk Ridge, and Harriman/Bear Mountain State Park areas. Unlike western states, NY has not adopted a Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) code. NY DEC Region 3 issues fire-danger advisories and enforces the statewide March 16 to May 14 brush burning ban.
NYSDEC Fire Danger Map - Hudson Valley Fire Danger Rating Area (includes Orange County)
Description of Fire Danger Ratings. Red Flag A short-term, temporary warning, indicating the presence of a dangerous combination of temperature, wind, relative humidity, fuel or drought conditions which can contribute to new fires or rapid spread of existing fires. A Red Flag Warning can be issued at any Fire Danger level. Extreme (Red) Fires start quickly, spread furiously, and burn intensely....
NY Executive Law 378 and 19 NYCRR Part 1225 require smoke alarms in all residential buildings. 10-year sealed battery alarms required on new sales since April 2019.
Backyard recreational fires are permitted in most Orange County NY towns under 6 NYCRR Part 215 limits: under 3 ft in diameter and 2 ft tall, using untreated wood or charcoal, attended at all times. Residential brush burning is banned statewide March 16-May 14.
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