Odell Fire and Rescue

Thanks to the long-awaited recent downpours, Cabarrus County Fire Marshal Jacob Thompson announced that the burn ban for unincorporated Cabarrus County will be LIFTED at 8 a.m. on Friday, May 8.

The ban had been in place locally and statewide for over a month due to dry, hazardous conditions. Beginning tomorrow, residents can apply for a burn permit here: https://apps.ncagr.gov/burnpermits/

Keep in mind to still use caution when open burning:

✅Maintain a safe distance from structures
✅Have an extinguishing method available
✅Tend to the fire at all times
✅Only sticks, limbs, leaves and other natural yard debris should be burned
✅All other North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality regulations should be followed. Learn more here: https://www.deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/air-quality/air-quality-compliance/open-burning

Review Cabarrus County ordinances and other information at https://www.cabarruscounty.us/Government/Departments/Fire-Services or contact the Cabarrus County Fire Services office directly at 704-920-2143.

We are now under a burn ban until further notice ‼️ see post below for more info regarding the ban.

Due to increased wildfire risk, the N.C. Forest Service has issued a ban on all open burning and has canceled all burning permits statewide effective 6 p.m. Saturday, March 28 until further notice.

Under North Carolina law, the ban prohibits all open burning in the affected counties, regardless of whether a permit was previously issued. The issuance of any new permits has also been suspended until the ban is lifted. Anyone violating the burn ban faces a $100 fine plus $183 court costs. Any person responsible for setting a fire may be liable for any expenses related to extinguishing the fire.

The burn ban does not apply to fires started within 100 feet of an occupied dwelling. The local fire marshal has authority to issue a burn ban within those 100 feet.

Read news release: https://www.ncagr.gov/news/press-releases/2026/03/28/statewide-burn-ban-issued-north-carolina-due-hazardous-forest-fire-conditions

🔔 REMINDER 🔔

Reminder of our Annual Community meeting tonight! Come on out!

🔔 ANNUAL MEETING REMINDER 🔔

We hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday season and continues to enjoy time with their families and stay safe, we wanted to let everyone know our Annual Community Meeting will be January 13th at Odell Fire Department Station 2 (44) at 7:00 PM.

We invite everyone in Odell’s Fire District to attend and ask any questions you have about our department or operations! Or just stop by and say hello!

Where: Odell Station 2 (44)
When: January 13th at 7:00 PM

2025 was a notably active year for our organization, with a total of 1,416 calls for service This represents a 13% increase in overall call volume compared to the previous years total of 1,254.

We hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable New Year's celebration, and we look forward to another year of serving this exceptional community.

🔔 ANNUAL MEETING REMINDER 🔔

We hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday season and continues to enjoy time with their families and stay safe, we wanted to let everyone know our Annual Community Meeting will be January 13th at Odell Fire Department Station 2 (44) at 7:00 PM.

We invite everyone in Odell’s Fire District to attend and ask any questions you have about our department or operations! Or just stop by and say hello!

Where: Odell Station 2 (44)
When: January 13th at 7:00 PM

Odell companies are currently assisting with this incident. Use caution in the area

Today we lay to rest a true pillar of the Odell community. Bernard Smith was a cornerstone in the Odell Fire Department for over 52 years! Joining the department in 1963 and remaining active until 2015 when he retired to spend more time with family. Bernard was a shining example of what a public servant is and should be. For decades he put others above himself, ready to drop what he was doing and respond at a moment’s notice. In my early days at the fire department, Bernard was a constant presence. Us “youngsters” would sit at the station for hours, waiting for a call to come in and when the tones would drop, it was a mad dash to get to the engine. By the time we got to the truck and got our gear on, he would be pulling in, ready to drive us wherever necessary. It always amazed all of us how quickly he could make it to the station. He was a mentor to all, always teaching and trying to make each and every person he was around better. He undoubtedly touched countless lives in his time with the fire department, including mine. Many that he mentored went on to careers in public service including fire, law enforcement and EMS. He helped shape the public service community in Cabarrus County and beyond for over fifty years! A feat matched by few and a feat that will have a lasting impact for years to come. Now that’s something to hang your hat on.
Bernard was a personal friend of mine and I will miss our conversations and the little bits of wisdom that came with each interaction. Nothing would make me happier than hearing “2211 10-8” come across the radio one more time. I imagine he’s up above, spending time with loved ones, baling hay on an old Massey tractor and driving the wheels off an open-cab Pierce fire engine. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. Godspeed sir, we’ll take it from here.

​​​​​​​​​Jeremy Burris
​​​​​​​​​Fire Chief

C. Bernard Smith Obituary October 31, 2025 - Whitley's Funeral Home View C. Bernard Smith's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.