New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos March 9, announced the agency's annual ban on residential brush burning will begin March 16, and continue through May 14. The DEC is also reminding residents that conditions for wildfires intensify in the spring and the time of year when most wildfires occur. Seggos wrote in a press release, the state "...prohibits residential burning for two months starting on March 16, when dry conditions are highest. Help DEC put safety first and continue to reduce the number of wildfires in New York’s communities by following the burn ban.” The largest single cause of spring wildfires statewide is the open burning of debris from the past fall, especially dry leaves. The fires can start and spread easily, fueled by winds and the lack of green vegetation. DEC will post a Fire Danger Map rating for the 2021 fire season at the DEC website once there is a moderate risk anywhere in the state. In 2020, DEC Forest Rangers put out 192 wildfires that burned a total of more than 1,122 acres. The ban is enforced by forest rangers, DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officers and local authorities. Violators face a minimum fine of $500. Read more at dec[dot] ny [dot] gov.