Westchester County, NY Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Westchester County, NY, also called the burn ban, open burning, or fire restriction ordinance, set when you can burn yard waste, debris, or run a recreational fire.
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Sanitary Code § 873.1313
- Default rule
- All open fires prohibited
- Permit exceptions
- Land-clearing, demolition, fire training only
- Enforcing agency
- Westchester County Health Department
Summary
Westchester County's Sanitary Code bans open burning countywide unless the fire falls under a narrow permit exception for land-clearing or demolition debris, or fire-department training, enforced by the Health Department.
1.Except as permitted by section 873.1314, no person shall burn, cause, suffer, allow or permit the burning of an open fire.2.No person shall burn, cause, suffer, allow or permit the burning in an open fire of refuse during an air pollution episode in an area for which such air pollution has been designated.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 47).
Full Breakdown
Sanitary Code § 873.1313 prohibits any person from burning, causing, suffering, allowing or permitting an open fire, defined as any outdoor fire or smoke-producing process releasing air contaminants into the atmosphere, except as permitted under § 873.1314. That companion section allows burning only for on-site land-clearing or demolition debris, or at a designated fire-training site, and only under a written permit application to the Health Department that can be revoked for noncompliance or air-pollution violations. Burning refuse during a declared air-pollution episode is barred outright.
Violations & Fines
Violations of Article XIII are enforceable under § 873.218: up to $250 for a first offense and $500 for repeat offenses, plus revocation of any burning permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a permit to burn brush on my property?
Is open burning banned everywhere in the county?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Westchester County
How Westchester County compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·New York rules heatmap·Compare Westchester County to another location·View the New York fire regulations overview
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