Small backyard campfires and cookfires are allowed if they meet recreational-fire limits: a fuel pile no more than 3 feet wide and 2 feet high, at least 25 feet from any structure, constantly attended, and burning only clean wood. Larger or trash fires are prohibited.
NC Fire Code Section 307 treats a backyard campfire as a 'recreational fire' - clean wood or charcoal, not contained in a device, with a total fuel area no larger than 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet high, for cooking, warmth, or pleasure. It must sit 25 feet from combustible structures and be attended with water or an extinguisher ready. Anything larger, or burning leaves or trash, becomes regulated open burning, which is banned inside Durham city limits. During dry spells the fire marshal or NC Forest Service may declare a burn ban prohibiting outdoor fires within 100 feet of a structure.
Fire officials may order any hazardous or banned fire extinguished; violating a declared burn ban is a Class 3 misdemeanor under NCGS 106-946.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Backyard composting is legal in Durham and the city offers a curbside food-waste program. Compost piles must be maintained so they do not harbor rodents or p...
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Durham lies in the Neuse River and Falls Lake watersheds, where state and UDO riparian buffer rules require a 50-foot protected buffer of native vegetation a...
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Durham declares dense weeds, vines, briars and undergrowth a public nuisance when they harbor pests or sit near buildings. Overgrowth over 12 inches high mus...
See how Durham County's backyard fires rules stack up against other locations.
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