Depew trustees hold public hearing on proposed open‑fires law after residents complain of persistent smoke

The Village Board of Trustees of the Village of Depew opened a public hearing Sept. 8 on Local Law No. 3 of 2025, a proposed local law to update rules governing open fires and incinerators and to give village enforcement officials clearer authority to address persistent or hazardous burning.

Attorney Sam Alba, who drafted the proposed law, told the board the measure would adopt by reference the most recent New York State Fire Code, move permitting for larger fires to the code enforcement office, and add a limit that would bar "constant burns" that continue more than four hours. "The idea here isn't to stop people from having regular campfires," Alba said. "It is simply to give the village a little bit more authority to stop people who are overdoing it, constantly burning things all day, burning rubbish,…