Pinal County, AZ Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)
Fire pit rules in Pinal County, AZ, also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances, cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Key Facts
- Recreational limit
- 3 ft wide, 2 ft high
- Fuel
- Clean dry wood only
- Yard waste
- Needs open-burn permit
- HPA days
- All backyard fires banned
- Trash
- Never burn
Summary
A backyard fire for cooking, warmth, or ceremony is a permit-exempt recreational fire in Pinal County only if the fuel area is 3 feet or less in diameter and 2 feet or less high. Anything larger, or burning yard waste, becomes open burning requiring a permit.
The total fuel area must be 3 feet or less in diameter and 2 feet or less in height.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Pinal County Air Quality allows recreational fires - those for religious, ceremonial, cooking, or warmth purposes - without a burn permit, provided the total fuel area is 3 feet or less in diameter and 2 feet or less in height and only clean, dry firewood is used. Burning vegetative yard waste, trimmings, or anything larger than the recreational threshold is "open burning" and requires a county permit (and is never issued May 1-September 30). All backyard fires are banned during a declared High Pollution Advisory. Household and commercial trash may never be burned.
Violations & Fines
An oversized or trash-fueled backyard fire without a permit, or any fire during a High Pollution Advisory, is an air-quality violation subject to abatement and penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a small backyard cooking fire legal without a permit?
Can I burn leaves and branches in my backyard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pinal County
How Pinal County compares: Cities with the Strictest Fire Pit Rules·Compare Pinal County to another location·View the Arizona fire regulations overview
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