08/04/2026
New York has prohibited untreated firewood and certain woody plant material from leaving a five-town section of Suffolk County after laurel wilt, a lethal invasive disease of sassafras and spicebush, was confirmed at 10 locations.
The quarantine covers all of Huntington, Babylon, Smithtown, Islip and Brookhaven. It affects residents, landscapers, tree companies, nurseries and others transporting covered material from much of western and central Suffolk County.
The five towns are treated as one quarantine district. Covered wood may be moved between the towns, subject to New York’s existing firewood rules, but it generally cannot cross the district’s outer boundary unless it has been treated or is traveling under a state permit.
That means untreated firewood originating in Huntington or Babylon cannot be taken west into Nassau County simply because the destination is nearby. Wood from Brookhaven cannot be hauled east into Riverhead or Southampton without meeting the quarantine requirements. A trip can violate the order even when the destination is less than 50 miles away.
