Fire Regulations in Orange County, NC (2026)
2 rules for unincorporated Orange County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Note: These county rules apply to unincorporated areas of Orange County. If you live within an incorporated city, that city's own rules apply: see the city list below.
Fireworks
North Carolina bans nearly all consumer fireworks under N.C.G.S. §14-410 et seq. Only ground-based and hand-held sparkling devices, sparklers, fountains, snakes, smoke, and some ground spinners, are legal in Orange County. Every aerial firework is illegal.
Orange County Fireworks Regulations
Heavy RestrictionsN.C.G.S. § 14-414(6)
Other sparkling devices which emit showers of sparks and sometimes a whistling or crackling effect when burning, do not detonate or explode, do not spin, are hand-held or ground-based, cannot propel themselves through the air, and contain not more than 75 grams of chemical compound per tube, or not more than a total of 200 grams if multiple tubes are used.
Outdoor Burning
Burning vegetation in unincorporated Orange County needs a NC Forest Service permit and must follow NC DEQ air rules. Burning trash, treated wood, or debris is always illegal, and Chapel Hill and Carrboro ban open burning in town.
Orange County Outdoor Burning Rules
Some RestrictionsN.C.G.S. § 106-943
It shall be unlawful for any person to start or cause to be started any fire or ignite any material in any woodland under the protection of the Department or within 500 feet of any such woodland during the hours starting at midnight and ending at 4:00 P.M. without first obtaining a permit from the Department.
All Orange County ordinances
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