By Lorraine Farina and Rebecca Martin
This is a follow-up to Lorraine Farina’s guest post, “Kingston Needs a Proactive Burn Ban During High Fire Danger” (June 22).
WHAT
The Kingston Common Council is considering a proactive, temporary outdoor burn ban in Kingston during times of high fire danger, as determined by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). The proposed temporary burn ban would prohibit: “All outdoor burning, including bonfires, campfires, warming fires, outdoor fireplaces, chimneys and cooking fires in city limits until further notice.”
By working together during periods of elevated fire risk, Kingston can reduce preventable sources of ignition and help protect our community before an emergency occurs.
WHEN
Public Hearing: August 26 at 6:00 PM
WHERE
Kingston City Hall
420 Broadway
Kingston, NY
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Attend the public hearing and sign up to speak.
You can also email the Kingston Common Council (please indicate your Ward/alderperson) to share your support for a proactive, temporary burn ban when DEC designates Kingston at “high fire danger” by writing to: co***********@*********ny.gov and em*****@*********ny.gov
Please blind cc HVAQ on your communications:
hv***********@***il.com
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
WARD MAPS
Last November, Ulster County experienced the largest and most numerous wildfires in recent history. In response, surrounding communities took action and put temporary outdoor burn bans in place.
The reality is that the conditions around us are changing. The Kingston Common Council is considering a proactive approach that would allow our community to reduce risk during the most dangerous conditions: a temporary outdoor burn ban during periods of high fire danger as determined by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). This is an opportunity for our community to work together to reduce preventable risks and protect our neighborhoods, residents, first responders, and the environment we all share.
Worsening climate change has increased fire danger risks here in Kingston. Our city has unique characteristics that create additional concerns, similar to the conditions that existed in Altadena, California before the devastating 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. Kingston is a densely populated city with predominantly wood-framed homes, located in a valley that can trap air and wildfire smoke. New research is changing how we understand urban wildfire risk: in urban wildfires, houses become the fuel. Our urban fire departments are prepared for more frequent, smaller-scale fire events, but they are not traditionally equipped to respond to the comparatively rare but potentially devastating large-scale events that climate change is making more likely.
The proposed temporary burn ban would reduce preventable sources of ignition during the periods when fire conditions are most dangerous. It would prohibit: “All outdoor burning, including bonfires, campfires, warming fires, outdoor fireplaces, chimneys and cooking fires in city limits until further notice.”
The proposal would take effect when the DEC designates Kingston as being at “high fire danger” risk — conditions where fine fuels ignite easily and fires spread rapidly, often becoming difficult to control. According to data compiled from the DEC Fire Danger Map, Kingston’s number of “high fire danger” days has increased from 0–1 days in 2013 to 38 days in 2022 and 31 days in 2025, reflecting the growing need for proactive action.
This conversation is not new. The Common Council first considered a burn ban in summer 2025, and the Administrative Code already prohibits brush fires and the creation of dense smoke within city limits year-round (§135-3 Prohibition of emission of dense smoke; exceptions). This proposal builds on those existing protections by addressing additional sources of ignition during periods of high fire danger.
The Kingston Common Council is seeking public input at a public hearing on August 26 at 6:00 PM at Kingston City Hall. Please attend, sign up to speak, and make your voice heard.
If you are planning to speak at the public hearing or submit a comment, consider sharing why you support a proactive, temporary outdoor burn ban during periods of high fire danger. You might talk about what the increasing risk of wildfire means for Kingston, why prevention matters, and why communities should take action before an emergency happens. Your comments do not need to be long. Personal experiences, local knowledge, and your reasons for supporting proactive action are valuable.