Backyard ground-level campfires in Apex are regulated by Sec. 9-48 of the Apex Code of Ordinances (Chapter 9 Fire Prevention). Campfires shall not be permitted in the town unless the campfire is located at least 25 feet from any structure and 25 feet from any property line. The campfire shall be no larger than four square feet and shall be surrounded by bricks at least two tiers high. Only clean wood may be burned - yard waste, leaves, and trash are prohibited. These setbacks are substantially stricter than the International Fire Code's general recreational-fire setback (25 ft from any structure under IFC 307.4.2 - Apex matches the structure setback and adds a 25-ft property-line setback). Any backyard fire that does not meet Sec. 9-48 (or the alternative Sec. 9-47 patio wood-burning unit standard at 20 ft from structures on a noncombustible surface) is prohibited without Apex Fire Department approval or permit.
Apex Code of Ordinances Chapter 9 (Fire Prevention), Sec. 9-48 (Campfires), provides: "Campfires shall not be permitted in the town unless the campfire is located at least 25 feet from any structure and 25 feet from any property line. The campfire shall be no larger than four square feet and shall be surrounded by bricks at least two tiers high." The Apex Fire Department clarifies that only clean wood may be burned in the campfire - yard waste, leaves, and trash are prohibited and must be placed curbside for Town pickup. The Sec. 9-48 standard is stricter than the underlying International Fire Code Sec. 307.4.2 recreational-fire rule (which sets a 25-ft setback from any structure and limits the fuel package to 3 ft in diameter by 2 ft in height) by adding a 25-ft setback from any property line and a maximum 4 sq ft size with a brick containment ring. Many Apex residential lots are too small to satisfy both the 25-ft structure setback and the 25-ft property-line setback simultaneously, which is why the Town's official guidance steers residents toward the Sec. 9-47 patio wood-burning unit alternative (manufactured fire pit or chiminea, noncombustible surface, 20 ft from any structure, clean wood only - no property-line setback). The Apex Fire Department's Fire Marshal's Office (919-367-4055) reviews any other proposed outdoor fire on a case-by-case approval basis. Statewide or Wake County burn bans (issued by NCDA&CS or NC Forest Service under NCGS Chapter 113) suspend Sec. 9-48 campfires for the duration of the ban.
Sec. 9-48 violations are enforced by the Apex Fire Department Fire Marshal's Office (919-367-4055). Common violations: campfires within 25 feet of a structure (house, deck, shed, fence at structure-line), campfires within 25 feet of any property line, fires larger than 4 sq ft, fires not contained in two-tier brick ring, burning of yard waste/leaves/trash/treated wood, or fires conducted during an active burn ban. Apex Fire suppression units may be dispatched to extinguish unlawful or uncontrolled fires, and the responsible party may be billed for response costs. Civil and criminal penalties under the NC Fire Prevention Code also apply.
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