Fire Regulations in Seminole County, FL (2026)
5 rules for unincorporated Seminole County, Florida.
Verified from official government sources
Fireworks
Florida law, not a separate Seminole County ordinance, controls fireworks in the unincorporated area. Fla. Stat. § 791.08 lets residents use fireworks 'solely and exclusively' on New Year's Day, July 4th, and New Year's Eve; on every other day of the year, using them outside the sparkler and agricultural exemptions in Chapter 791 remains unlawful.
Seminole County Fireworks: Legal Only on 3 Holidays
Light RestrictionsFla. Stat. § 791.08
791.08 Use during designated holidays; exemption.—(1)As used in this section, the term “designated holiday” means: (a)New Year’s Day, January 1; (b)Independence Day, July 4; or (c)New Year’s Eve, December 31. (2)This chapter does not prohibit the use of fireworks solely and exclusively during a designated holiday. This section is not intended to provide for the comprehensive regulation of firew...
Brush Clearance
Seminole County has no ordinance mandating a fixed cleared width, but the county strongly recommends a defensible space of at least 30 feet around each home in this wildfire-prone area. Overgrown lots may still be cited under separate nuisance and weed ordinances.
Defensible Space and Brush Clearance
Some RestrictionsSeminole County Wildfire Preparedness
create and maintain a defensible space of at least 30 feet around their homes by regularly mowing grass, removing dead vegetation, and trimming back combustible landscaping materials
Outdoor Burning
You may burn yard debris on residential property only when no county burn ban is active and you follow Florida Forest Service setbacks. Piles over 8 feet across need a state burn authorization. During a burn ban, all outdoor burning not permitted by the Forest Service is prohibited.
Open Burning and Yard Debris Rules
Some RestrictionsFAC 5I-2.006
Residential, and Agricultural/Silvicultural pile burning must be set back three hundred (300') feet or more away from any occupied building other than that of the landowner and fifty (50') feet from any wildlands, brush or combustible structure.
Wildfire Zones
Seminole County bans all open burning countywide once the Keetch-Byram Drought Index reaches 500 or higher. The Board of County Commissioners Chairman activates the ban by Executive Order under Section 85.24, it renews in seven-day increments while conditions stay dry, and Fire Marshals and Law Enforcement enforce it with fines up to $500.
Seminole County's Burn Ban Triggers at Drought Index 500
Significant RestrictionsSeminole County Code § 85.24(a), (b), (f)
(a)When dry weather conditions result in a Keetch Byran Drought Index reading at 500 or higher, a prohibition on all open burning in Seminole County, as defined in Section 85.26 of this Code, will take effect upon the Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners signing an Executive Order. The burn ban will not apply to burning done by, or under the direct supervision of, authorized County or ...
Smoke Detectors
Under Florida Statutes Section 553.883, a repair or Florida Building Code "Level 1" alteration to a one- or two-family home or townhome in unincorporated Seminole County lets the owner install a smoke alarm powered by a sealed 10-year battery instead of rewiring for a hardwired alarm. Any battery alarm installed or replaced by that work must run on a nonremovable, nonreplaceable 10-year battery, subject to exceptions for monitored and multi-sensor units.
Seminole County's Smoke Alarm 10-Year Battery Rule
Some RestrictionsFla. Stat. § 553.883
553.883 Smoke alarms in one-family and two-family dwellings and townhomes.—One-family and two-family dwellings and townhomes undergoing a repair, or a level 1 alteration as defined in the Florida Building Code, may use smoke alarms powered by 10-year nonremovable, nonreplaceable batteries in lieu of retrofitting such dwelling with smoke alarms powered by the dwelling's electrical system. A batt...
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