Drought Conditions on Delmarva Increase Wildfire Risk – Outdoor Burning Restrictions in Several Counties & Delaware

The Worcester County Fire Marshal is warning of heightened wildfire risks to to ongoing moderate drought conditions, high winds and low humidity. Wildfire activity has been on the rise and the Fire Marshal’s office strongly urges you to avoid outdoor burning or to exercise extreme caution if burning is necessary. These conditions endanger personal property – but also place first responders at risk. Several burn-related injuries have occurred in recent weeks.

Outdoor burning is also being discouraged in Delaware. 

Somerset County Commissioners have banned all outdoor burning until further notice:

March 13, 2025 – Outdoor Burning Banned
President Charles Laird, Somerset County Commissioners, advises that, upon the advisement of the Fire Chiefs, Somerset County has imposed moratorium on all outdoor burning until further notice.
The ban applies to all outdoor ignition sources, including: campfires, bonfires, fireworks, leaf, brush, grass, and trash burning, and other similar methods of open incineration.
Cooking with contained barbecue grills and charcoal grills are still permissible.
The burn ban will remain in effect until sufficient rainfall is received.

Dorchester County has also put an open air burning ban in place:

Effective March 13, 2025 at 8:00AM an open air burning ban has been put in place for Dorchester County, Maryland.
All open air burning is prohibited in Dorchester County with the exception of the following:
(1) Gas grills, charcoal grills or fire pits.
(2) The supervised burning of buildings, or the burning of solid liquid, or gaseous fuels conducted under the direct control and supervision of qualified instructors at a training center organized by a fire department.
(3) Any other supervised burning conducted under the direct control and supervision of qualified fire instructors, or a fire chief, captain or fire line officer of a fire department that has jurisdiction over the area where the supervised burning occurs.
A copy of the adopted resolution will be posted on the County website.