Mebane, NC Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

Mebane City Code § 16-3(a) permits recreational fires, but only within six numbered restrictions: the fire pit must sit a safe distance from all combustible structures, must be constantly attended until fully extinguished, must have an extinguishing method available for immediate use, cannot burn fuel larger than two feet by three feet, cannot use a pit wider than 40 inches in diameter or length, and must be put out immediately if the fire department orders it. The same subsection allows recreational fires for pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes, cooking or warmth, but specifically bars using them to burn household trash, garbage, yard debris such as leaves, brush or stumps, or construction materials.

The city council adopted this version on October 7, 2019 (Ord. No. OA-19-05), replacing the prior fire pit rule. No permit or fire department notification is required for a compliant recreational fire; the restrictions in § 16-3(a) function as the standard a homeowner must meet on their own. Because the section sits in Chapter 16's Article I alongside the § 16-1 open-burning ban, a fire that exceeds the size limit, sits too close to a structure or burns prohibited material stops being a lawful 'recreational fire' and instead becomes unlawful burning subject to the same misdemeanor penalty in § 16-2, enforced through the general penalty at § 1-6. Section 16-3(b) separately exempts fires fully contained in an outdoor fireplace, barbeque grill or barbeque pit from these six restrictions altogether.