Tucson Fire Department and Pima County require defensible space around structures in wildland-urban interface zones. Property owners must maintain a 30-foot defensible zone with cleared brush and a 100-foot extended zone with reduced fuel density. Rules are triggered by the Sonoran Desert fire code and apply particularly to properties adjacent to Saguaro National Park and the Catalina Foothills.
Defensible space requirements follow the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code adopted under Tucson Fire Code. Zone 1 within 30 feet requires removal of dead vegetation, pruning of trees 10 feet above ground, and spacing between shrubs. Zone 2 within 100 feet requires horizontal and vertical fuel breaks. Native Sonoran Desert plants like saguaro, palo verde, and ironwood are protected but may be selectively pruned. Invasive buffelgrass is an aggressive fire-carrying grass that must be actively removed where present.
Tucson Fire can issue abatement orders with 30 days to comply. Continued non-compliance leads to city-contracted clearance billed to the owner plus administrative fees. Fines range from 250 dollars to 1,000 dollars per violation.
Tucson, AZ
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Tucson, AZ
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Tucson, AZ
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Tucson, AZ
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Tucson, AZ
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Tucson, AZ
Tucson Fire Department enforces the International Fire Code with local amendments. Per Tucson's BBQ and Open Flame Devices handout, 20-lb propane cylinders m...
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