Members of the Pleasant Valley Fire District and seven nearby departments assisted Millbrook firefighters in fighting a four acre brush fire on Verbank Road in Millbrook around noon Sunday, Nov. 10.

In addition to Pleasant Valley were Union Vale, Dover, East Clinton, LaGrange, Amenia, West Clinton and Beekman battling the blaze.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation gave Dutchess County a high fire danger rating in late October.

Towns and villages across the county, including Pleasant Valley, have issued burn bans in response to the dangerously dry conditions. While these bans are in place it is forbidden to start a fire or do anything which could cause a fire to start. “All outdoor burning of yard waste, household paper products, bonfires, campfires, warming fires, outdoor fireplaces, chimneys, and cooking fires within said jurisdiction is prohibited,” according to the Town of Pleasant Valley's state of emergency declaration.