Rockland County, NY Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

Rockland County outdoor burning follows NY State's 6 NYCRR Part 215, one of the strictest open-burning regulations in the country. The statewide open-burning ban runs March 15 through May 15 every year, covering all brush and residential yard waste. Year-round, NY prohibits burning household garbage, leaves, yard waste, construction debris, treated wood, plastics, or tires anywhere in the state. Recreational campfires under 3 feet diameter with clean wood are permitted year-round outside the burn-ban window. Rockland County has less than 20,000 population in unincorporated rural areas (Stony Point, parts of Ramapo/Haverstraw) so the small-town agricultural burn exemption rarely applies. Town fire marshals in Clarkstown, Ramapo, Orangetown, Haverstraw, and Stony Point enforce with DEC Region 3 officers. Fall leaf burning is prohibited year-round in Rockland despite common misconception. DSNY-style curbside leaf collection is provided by most towns. NYS Forest Rangers patrol Harriman/Bear Mountain/Palisades park boundaries. Violations are cumulative and escalate rapidly.