State of Emergency Declared in Cortland County – Burn Ban in Effect

The lack of any significant rainfall which has led to extremely dry conditions within Cortland County has led to a State of Emergency being declared on Wednesday, November 6th. The current dry conditions pose a public safety hazard on the possibility of out of control fires and/or wildfires, the county said in a release.

The State of Emergency will remain in effect until December 1st for Cortland County or until rescinded. Cortland County says the following is now prohibited with the State Department of Environmental Open Burning Laws:

• Burning refuse, trash or any other solid waste
• Burning loose leaves or leaf piles
• Burning downed limbs or branches
• Burning of grass, brush or forest-covered land.

The issuance of the State of Emergency was done by Cortland County Legislative Chair, Kevin Fitch.

“Given the current weather patterns and exceptionally dry conditions, we must take immediate action to protect public safety and prevent any risk of uncontrolled fires or wildfires,” stated Chairman Fitch. “This burn ban is a necessary measure to ensure the safety of our community and to protect our natural resources, property, and public infrastructure from potential fire hazards.”

The declaration comes after several fire departments from Cortland and Broome Counties responded to a large brush fire in a wooded area off of Route 221 near Willet on Tuesday, November 5th. Firefighters were able to contain and extinguish the fire within a few hours Tuesday afternoon.