The Saratoga County burn ban runs every year from March 16 through May 14 under New York’s statewide rule at 6 NYCRR Part 215, and during that window all open burning of brush, leaves, and yard debris is prohibited countywide. A first violation starts at a $500 civil penalty. Outside those dates, whether you can burn brush at your house depends on your town’s population, whether you’re inside a village, and whether local code adds stricter rules.
When the Ban Is in Effect
March 16 to May 14, every year, with no exceptions for property size or distance from woods. DEC can also impose additional temporary burn bans outside this window when drought conditions warrant, so the spring dates are the predictable baseline rather than the only time burning may be off-limits.
What the Ban Covers
During the March-through-May window, you cannot burn brush, tree limbs, leaves, or any yard debris, even if burning would normally be legal on your property later in the year.
A separate set of materials is banned year-round anywhere in the state:
- Household trash and refuse, including anything burned in a barrel.
- Plastics and synthetic materials such as bags, tarps, and containers.
- Treated or manufactured wood: pressure-treated lumber, painted or stained wood, plywood, particle board, and OSB.
- Tires, in all circumstances.
What You Can Still Do During the Ban
The ban targets debris burning, not every outdoor flame. Campfires and small cooking fires stay legal year-round if they’re under three feet tall and under four feet in length, width, or diameter, use only charcoal or clean untreated, unpainted wood, and are attended until fully out.
Barbecue grills, smokers, maple sugar arches, and other outdoor cooking devices are allowed whenever you’re actually cooking or processing food; the rule doesn’t distinguish charcoal from gas. Ceremonial and celebratory bonfires are also permitted if they burn only untreated wood or agricultural products and are attended until fully extinguished. Small fires to dispose of a flag or religious item have their own exception.
Burning Brush After May 14
Once the state ban lifts, residential brush burning is legal in Saratoga County only under fairly narrow conditions.
Town Population Under 20,000
Brush burning is allowed only in towns with a total population under 20,000, and that count includes any village or portion of a village inside the town. Most Saratoga County towns qualify, but Clifton Park and Halfmoon are close to or above the threshold, and Clifton Park has separately prohibited residential brush burning entirely through Chapter 80 of its town code.
Size, Source, and Village Limits
Even in eligible towns, downed limbs and branches must be less than six inches in diameter and less than eight feet long, including any attached leaves or needles. The material has to have been generated on your own property; hauling debris in from another location to burn it is not allowed. Burning inside any village is prohibited regardless of the town’s population.
Adirondack Fire Towns Need a DEC Permit
Four Saratoga County towns sit fully or partially inside the Adirondack Park and are designated Fire Towns under the Environmental Conservation Law: Corinth, Day, Edinburg, and Hadley. If you live in one of these, you need a burning permit from DEC before burning any brush, even after the spring ban lifts and even though the population is well under 20,000.
Farm Exception
If you run a valid agricultural operation on five or more contiguous acres actively used for farming or horticulture, you can burn organic agricultural waste on-site year-round, as long as the waste was grown or generated on that land and can be fully burned within 24 hours. This does not cover general brush clearing unrelated to the farm operation, and it doesn’t override stricter local rules.
Local Ordinances Can Be Stricter
Towns, villages, cities, and the county itself can pass rules tighter than the state’s. Clifton Park’s Chapter 80 mirrors the state’s cooking and camping fire exceptions but bans residential brush burning at any time of year. Before lighting an outdoor fire, check with your local code enforcement office or fire department. A fire that’s legal under state rules can still violate a local ordinance, and you’d be on the hook either way.
Fines for Illegal Burning
Under ECL § 71-2103, a first violation of the open burning rules carries a civil penalty of at least $500 and up to $18,000, with up to $15,000 for each additional day the violation continues. A second or subsequent violation runs up to $26,000, with daily penalties up to $22,500. Those are the regulatory fines only. If an illegal fire damages someone else’s property, injures a person, or triggers a major emergency response, criminal charges and civil claims for damages can be added on top.
How to Report a Fire or Illegal Burning
To report an active wildfire or illegal open burning, call DEC’s Forest Ranger dispatch line at 1-833-NYS-RANGERS (1-833-697-7264). If a fire is actively threatening people or structures, call 911 first. Forest rangers patrol Saratoga County and respond to burning complaints, especially during the March-to-May window when conditions are driest.