Stokes County Fire Marshal

10/01/2026

09/29/2026

Please join us in welcoming Zack Peeples to the Stokes County Fire Marshal Office!

Zack began his fire service career in 2003 with the Westfield Volunteer Fire Department as a Junior Firefighter. Since then, he has continued his commitment to serving others through roles with Stokes County 911, Francisco Volunteer Fire Department, Central Surry Volunteer Fire Department, City of Salisbury Fire Department, and most recently, the City of Winston-Salem Fire Department.

With 23 years of experience in fire, rescue, and medical response, Zack brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and dedication back to Stokes County.

We are excited to have Zack join the Stokes County Fire Marshal Office and look forward to the experience and perspective he will bring to our team and the communities we serve.

Welcome back to Stokes County, Zack! We’re glad to have you on board!

05/15/2026

🔥 Congratulations to Our Local Stokes County Fire Departments! 🔥

The North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal (NCOSFM) has awarded 50/50 match state fire grants to several deserving departments across Stokes County to help improve equipment, training, and emergency response capabilities for our communities.

Congratulations to:

🚒 Double Creek Volunteer Fire Department
🚒 Francisco Volunteer Fire Department Inc
🚒 Lawsonville Volunteer Fire & Rescue
🚒 Stokes-Rockingham Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Squad
🚒 Sauratown Volunteer Fire Department

Together, these departments received more than $158,000 in grant funding through the 2026 NC State Fire Grant Program.

Thank you to all of our firefighters, officers, and volunteers for your continued dedication and service to the citizens of Stokes County. Your hard work and commitment do not go unnoticed.

05/08/2026

05/01/2026

Stokes County will be lifting the County Burn ban, Friday May 1st 2026 at 5:00pm.

The North Carolina State Forest Service's burn ban is still in effect for areas more than 100 feet from occupied structures until the state lifts it.

04/27/2026

The statewide burn ban remains in effect until further notice despite weekend rain in some areas. Persistent dry weather and increasing rainfall deficits from the last several months have left most of the state needing 10 inches of rain or more.

“While the rainfall we received over the weekend was a welcome sight, it offered little to no relief from widespread drought conditions while being nowhere near enough to reduce our wildfire risk,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Even the areas that received the heaviest amount of rain will quickly dry out from the sunshine and warmer temperatures. Until we get some additional rain and see more green-up in our forests, holding the burn ban in place statewide is the best option right now.”

While green-up and leaf-out are progressing at normal rate, low soil moisture, dry surface fuels and persistent low humidity are contributing to wildfire activity. For Western North Carolina, excessive forest fuels from Hurricane Helene are more available now than they were in 2025, low water levels in coastal areas have helped produce intense fire behavior where ground fire will likely be a long-term issue, and the Piedmont experienced 87 new wildfire starts over the weekend alone. Extended attack and mop-up efforts will be taxing and long-winded until drought conditions improve.

Read news release: https://bit.ly/497dNht

04/16/2026

Countywide Burn Ban Effective Today at 4:00 PM

The Stokes County Fire Marshal’s Office announces that a countywide burn ban will go into effect April 16th 2026 at 4:00 PM.
Reminder citizens are urged to exercise extreme caution with any activity that could produce sparks or open flames. Even small ignition sources can quickly escalate into dangerous wildfires under current conditions.

03/28/2026

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