Orange utility flags seem to sprout up out of nowhere, and if you've ever arrived home to find them in your own lawn, you may have wondered why they're there. At this point, you'll benefit from understanding the different colored lawn flags and what they mean. The American Public Works Association (APWA) has created a handy nationwide color-coded system for property utility flags. In this case, orange flags indicate telecommunication lines are present. If you find orange flags in your yard that you didn't ask for, don't panic.