As firefighters in Suffolk County continue to work on containing brush fires exacerbated by strong winds and dry brush, Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a burn ban for Ulster and Orange Counties, alongside a litany of other counties in southeastern New York.

The ban, which is effective immediately, is intended to prevent further fires and protect communities.

A brushfire believed to be started by backyard s’mores has burned more than 600 acres of Long Island and led to the declaration of a state of emergency on Saturday. Four helicopters are performing water drops and a C-130 aircraft is providing aerial monitoring on the fire. On Saturday, the helicopters made 88 drops, totaling 24,200 gallons of water on the fires.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has deployed Forest Rangers and emergency management personnel who are working with the West Hampton Incident Command on firefighting operations. The DEC is also using heavy equipment to help contain the fire, which spread from Suffolk County parkland to the Westhampton Dwarf Pine Plains Pine Barrens State Forest, a unique pygmy forest that’s one of only very few places on earth with dwarf pines – the Shawangunk Ridge is another.

The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, as well as the Office of Fire Prevention and Control, are also working to support local response efforts. The Division of Military and Naval Affairs has eight helicopters on firefighting missions, five of which are staged at Long Island MacArthur Airport and three at Albany International Airport. The New York State Police are using drone teams to provide live monitoring of the fires.

The burn ban applies to outdoor fires for the disposal of brush and debris, as well as uncontained campfires and open fires for cooking. Backyard fire pits and contained campfires will still be allowed, as long as they meet certain size requirements.

“New Yorkers are facing increased wildfire risks due to the combination of dry conditions and strong winds,” Hochul said in a statement. “As we work tirelessly to combat the fires in Suffolk County, we must all do our part to prevent further damage.”

The multi-regional burn ban will be in effect until March 16, when the annual statewide ban on residential brush burning begins. The full list of counties covered by the ban are Nassau, Suffolk, Richmond, Kings, Queens, Bronx, New York, Westchester, Putnam, Orange, Rockland, Dutchess and Ulster.