10/01/2026
*** PSA ***
Thank you, Elizabeth City Downtown, Inc!!
It's October!!! You know what that means!!! It means it's time for our annual "Let's Not Burn Down Our Entire Downtown" safety post.
Holiday Decorations – Important info to know before you purchase and decorate.
Courtesy reminder regarding decorating inside and outside your storefronts and businesses during this Fall and Holiday decorating season...
Storefront Decorations: As we enter the Fall and Winter holiday decorating seasons, it’s important to remember that when putting up decorations or storefront displays you should be sure that those decorations are non-flammable or have been treated with fire retardant chemicals, and any lighting or electrical items are UL Listed and preferably commercial grade. It’s also important to NOT place decorations in a way that hinders safe egress from your store or business, as required by Fire Code and Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
The Downtown Historic District is considered to be a "Fire District." What that means is that most of the buildings are old and don’t have fire suppression (sprinkler) systems. If you look around, you'll also see that there is either no or minimal separation between buildings, and common walls in many instances. It also means that pretty much the entire downtown area is a tinderbox, and one small fire can very quickly consume an entire block of buildings.
We encourage our business owners to decorate for the seasons and don’t want to hinder that enthusiasm and creativity; however, we encourage you NOT to use decorative vegetation (i.e., dry hay bales/corn stalks, live Christmas trees) or any decorative materials that are of a highly flammable character (unless, as mentioned above, they have been treated with fire retardant chemicals. In that case, the ElizabethCity FireDepartment can come test them and give clearance). If you’re unsure about a decoration, you may contact the Fire Department and they will be happy to come check your decorations (252-338-3913; [email protected]). Please also remember that open grilling or open flames are also prohibited in the Downtown Central Business District unless pre-approved or permitted by the EC Fire Department.
We know this seems “Grinchey,” but it’s all for the safety and protection of people and historic buildings.
