Coconino County, AZ Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)
Key Facts
- Zone 1 distance
- 0 to 10 feet from structures
- Maintenance frequency
- At least once annually
- Applies to
- WUI subdivisions/developments needing a landscape plan
- Max civil fine
- $750/day individual, $10,000/day business
- Enforcing provision
- Zoning Ordinance § 5.14 Enforcement
Summary
Coconino County requires every subdivision and development with a landscape plan inside the Wildland/Urban Interface to clear brush in three zones around structures. Zone 1, the ten feet closest to buildings, decks and other structures, must have native brush removed from under trees and stripped entirely within that band. Zoning Ordinance Section 4.4.E requires the work be redone at least once a year.
4.4.E. Fire Protection and Weed Mitigation
1. Fire safety Standards and Defensible Space All subdivisions and developments requiring a landscape plan located within the Wildland/Urban Interface shall incorporate Fire safety management practices into the design and maintenance of Landscaping. Fire safety standards identify three zones at different distances from buildings and structures, and describe the landscape design and maintenance that should occur in these zones. All Defensible Space within these zones shall be maintained at least once annually.
A. Zone 1: 0 to 10 feet from buildings, structures, decks, etc.
i. Remove native brush from under trees. ... vii. Remove native brush and grass within 10 feet of buildings, structures, and decks.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
E of the Coconino County Zoning Ordinance folds fire protection into the landscaping chapter rather than a stand-alone brush law: it applies to subdivisions and developments that require a landscape plan and sit within the Wildland/Urban Interface, and it uses the standard three-zone defensible-space model. Zone 1 covers the ten feet immediately around buildings, structures and decks. Within that band the ordinance requires removing native brush from under trees, trimming canopies above the roofline with at least 10 feet between crowns, keeping shrubs pruned to 2 feet with 4 feet of clear space around each plant (cultivated ground cover is exempt), removing dead material, clearing combustible debris from under decks, and stripping native brush and grass within 10 feet of any structure entirely.
Zone 2 (10 to 30 feet) requires ladder-fuel removal and limbing trees 6 feet up; Zone 3 (30 to 150 feet, no slope) still requires ladder-fuel and dead-material removal. ' A qualified landscape professional, architect or nursery must prepare the underlying landscape plan unless the Community Development Director grants a waiver. Compliance is checked as part of the landscape-plan review every WUI subdivision or site plan must clear, tying brush clearance directly to whether a project can obtain occupancy.
Violations & Fines
Brush-clearance failures are handled as zoning violations under Section 5.14: a Deputy Zoning Inspector can cite noncompliant landscaping, and the Hearing Officer may impose civil or criminal fines up to $750 per day for an individual or $10,000 per day for a business entity, plus up to four months imprisonment in extreme cases. Unresolved balances above $1,500 (residential) or $3,000 (commercial) go to the County Attorney's Office.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Coconino County require homeowners to clear brush around their house?
How far from my house does Coconino County require brush removal?
What happens if I don't maintain the required defensible space?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Coconino County
Compare Coconino County to another location·View the Arizona fire regulations overview
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