The Orange County government recently named Elizabeth Farnan as its new fire marshal after an extensive search process.
Farnan served as the Acting Fire Marshal since this summer, until she was promoted and officially began her duties on September 25.

Elizabeth Farnan was named the new Orange County Fire Marshal (Photo via Orange County)
“I am very honored for the opportunity to serve as the Fire Marshal for Orange County,” Farnan said. “Some of my goals and visions in serving Orange County are promoting every home having working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, implementing more fire and life safety educational programs and working with all our partners to build a solid Community Risk Reduction Dashboard. I look forward to continuing the efforts of the previous Fire Marshals in furthering the legacy of the Fire Marshal Division’s commitment to life safety, community service and risk reduction for all.”
Farnan has been with Orange County since 1994, where she started as a telecommunicator. Since then she has worked in firefighting roles with the Town of Carrboro, Orange County and Chapel Hill Fire Departments. She has served as Assistant Fire Marshal with Orange County Emergency Services since October 2009.
“I am confident that her 27 years of experience and wealth of knowledge will serve the county well,” said Orange County Emergency Services Director Kirby Saunders.
Duties of the Fire Marshal include enforcing the North Carolina State Building Code, Fire Prevention Code and local ordinances. Farnan will also oversee Orange County’s fire prevention, fire response, fire suppression and fire investigation programs.
Featured photo via Orange County.
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.
Related Stories
‹

Orange County Reports Positive Rabies Test After Person Bitten By RaccoonOrange County Animal Services has reported a positive rabies test on a raccoon which was taken in for testing last week. According to OCAS, the raccoon bit a person after the person tried to “relocate” the animal. The incident occurred Dec. 26 near Pearson Road in Hurdle Mills in northern Orange County. The department reminded […]

Orange County Public Transportation Piloting Fare-Free Model in 2026Orange County Public Transportation will be piloting a one-year, fare-free model for its fixed-route transit services beginning Jan. 2, 2026. The Orange County Board of Commissioners approved the move at its Dec. 9 meeting. In a press release, the county government hailed the move as “an important step in testing strategies to expand mobility, promote […]

Orange County Communities to Interrupt Services for December Holidays (2025)Communities around Orange County will interrupt their normal service schedules during the upcoming winter holidays. Here’s what customers can expect: Town of Chapel Hill Town of Chapel Hill government offices will be closed from Wednesday, Dec. 24 through Friday, Dec. 26. Residential trash collection will not be affected. Yard trimmings will not be collected on […]

The Filing Period For 2026 Elections Is Over. Who’s Running in Orange County?As 2025 begins to wind down, many are already looking ahead to the 2026 midterm elections across the country — with the filing period for races in North Carolina ending on Friday. As of Dec. 19, candidates for federal, state and local offices can no longer file to formally begin their campaigns for the 2026 […]

'They Are Safe': How and Why Orange County Activates, Operates its Cold Weather ShelterFor the last four years, whenever winter temperatures drop to freezing, the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness and other local government staff team up to provide an overnight shelter option.

Orange County Sheriff's Office Details String of Break-Ins, Larceny Charges Against 2 TeenagersThe Orange County Sheriff's Office formally announced criminal charges against a pair of 18-year-olds for a string of break-ins in November.

Orange County Board Makes CITEL Deal Official, Offers Tax IncentivesThe Orange County Board of Commissioners passed an agreement with CITEL to move its American manufacturing operations to Hillsborough.

Orange County Authorities Find Missing Teenager After Brief SearchUPDATE: The Orange County Sheriff's Office said at 10:57 p.m. the missing child has since been located.
![]()
Reforming and Contextualizing Orange County's Property Assessments — Dec. 11, 2025Brighton McConnell moderates a discussion between Shereese Alston, Beverly Scarlett, Hudson Vaughan, Marilyn Carter and Amy Fowler.
![]()
Equity in Health Care - December 11, 2025What is the state of health care today, both nationally and here in our community? And what needs to be done to address disparities?
›