Orange County, FL Hurricane Preparedness: Storm Debris (2026)

Chapter 15's general open-burning ban covers yard waste and tree-cutting debris from residential properties (§ 15-100(b)(1)), so after a storm the default rule stays in force: homeowners may not pile up and burn their own fallen limbs or vegetative debris. Section 15-102 creates a narrow exception specifically for the government-run cleanup that follows a storm. Three conditions all have to be met. First, the burning has to be conducted "by or under the authority of" the municipal or county government handling the storm cleanup, not by an individual property owner. Second, the burning must use an air curtain incinerator operated under F.A.C. Rule 62-210.300 or 62-296.401 and within that device's air permit, or take the form of pile burning conducted under the Florida Division of Forestry's authority. Third, within ten days of starting the burn, the local government or its agent must send written notice to the county's Environmental Protection Division and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection describing the material, the burn location, the burning method, and a contact name, address and phone number for the responsible local government representative.

The exception is limited to vegetative debris and untreated wood; it does not cover demolition debris, treated wood, or other prohibited materials under § 15-100(b). Open burning is also barred outright during a National Weather Service Air Stagnation Advisory, an Air Pollution Episode, or an Orange County Fire Rescue burn-ban activation, and it can't reduce visibility on a paved public road below 1,000 feet under § 15-99(c)-(d).