It may not be something you think of when it comes to city life, but New York City does have a brush fire season, and it's happening right now.

What You Need To Know

  • Brush fire season in New York City is from March through May

  • Warm temperatures, low humidity, and windy conditions increase the fire risk

  • Brush fires can happen anywhere, but Staten Island is where most of them happen

During the spring months, the weather can bring warm and dry conditions. Dried-up and dead brush from the previous season is often readily available as fuel for any fires that may break out.

The other added ingredient is wind. Wind can fan and spread fires more quickly, and during the spring months, we see many windy days as strong storm systems move across the country.

Because it's warm, the humidity is low, and it's windy in the spring. The DEC enacts an outdoor burn ban every year from March 16 to May 14 for all of New York State. 

You won't find many areas with widespread brush in Manhattan, but there are large areas in the other four boroughs that can be prime candidates for brush fires. 

Most of the larger brush fires that happen in the city are on Staten Island. The FDNY on Staten Island in recent years received updated equipment to battle the fires they see there.

But, fires happen in other parts of the city and sometimes during other times of the year. Just last year, there was a large brush fire in Brooklyn. This time, it was in September, outside of the usual brush fire season.

The reason this fire occurred was thanks to Tropical Storm Isaias, which scattered dead branches and trees. Windy conditions combined with low humidity levels caused this brush fire to grow and spread.