Commissioners approve amendments to county fire code; fines raised, burn‑barrel exemption removed

County commissioners on Sept. 23 reviewed Order 2025-02, a proposed amendment to Chapter 10 of the Northwell County Code (Fire Code) that would clarify the chapter’s scope, remove an exemption for permanently constructed burn barrels from stage‑1 fire restrictions and increase civil fines for violations. The ordinance changes were introduced at the board’s public meeting as part of an effort to make chapter language consistent and easier for future boards to amend. County staff told commissioners the amendment would explicitly state that the chapter is adopted by ordinance and would be applied across articles in the code. Commission staff described a specific change to the definition of stage‑1 fire restrictions that removes an exemption for permanently constructed burn barrels, saying those barrels are illegal under state and federal law. Staff also proposed increasing the fine for a first violation from $50 to $250 and for a second violation from $250 to $500. A county official acknowledged that local fire districts have expressed disagreement with state and federal agencies about the classification of some burn barrels. The board voted to advance the ordinance; staff said the amendment will be published in the county paper and the board will return in about three weeks for final adoption. No final ordinance number beyond the working designation Order 2025-02 was provided at the meeting. Commissioners discussed how the county court could exercise discretion if a resident cannot pay a fine, and staff said the judge may consider inability to pay when issuing sanctions. The transcript records the matter was advanced to a final reading rather than being adopted that day. The board did not take any other immediate enforcement actions during the meeting.