Chandler, AZ Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)
Fire pit rules in Chandler, AZ, also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances, cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Key Facts
- Permit required
- for open fires except recreational fires
- Enforcing official
- City Fire Marshal (Section 28-3)
- Adopted code
- 2024 International Fire Code (Ord. No. 5111)
- Max fine
- $2,500 individual / $20,000 entity
- Max jail term
- 6 months plus 3 years' probation
Summary
Chandler's Fire Code requires an operational permit for any open fire on public or private ground, but Section 105.5.36 carves out one exception: recreational fires. A typical backyard fire pit or chiminea used for cooking or warmth doesn't need a permit from the Fire Marshal, while other open burning, brush piles, bonfires, ceremonial fires, still does.
105.5.36 Open burning. An operational permit is required for the kindling or maintenance of an open fire or a fire on any public street, alley, road or other public or private ground. Instructions and stipulations of the permit shall be adhered to. Exception: Recreational fires.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 79).
Full Breakdown
36 for local use: 'An operational permit is required for the kindling or maintenance of an open fire or a fire on any public street, alley, road or other public or private ground. ' The City Fire Chief has designated the City Fire Marshal as the fire code official responsible for administering permits under Section 28-3, and any operational permit that is issued comes with fees set by City Council resolution under Section 28-8. Because the code text stops at naming the exception, it does not print a numeric size limit, fuel type, or setback distance for a qualifying recreational fire in this chapter, a homeowner relying on the exemption should still keep the fire small, attended, and clear of structures, since anything the Fire Marshal treats as exceeding a normal backyard fire pit or chiminea falls back into the general open-burning permit requirement.
§ 37-1383(A)(5), so the Fire Marshal, not a county or state office, is who residents deal with for any burning question the exception doesn't cover.
Violations & Fines
Kindling an open fire that doesn't qualify as a recreational fire without first obtaining an operational permit is a Section 28-26 Fire Code violation: a Class 1 misdemeanor carrying a fine up to $2,500 for an individual (or $20,000 for a legal entity), up to six months imprisonment, up to three years' probation, or a combination, with each day the violation continues counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a backyard fire pit in Chandler?
Who enforces Chandler's open burning rules?
What happens if I burn without a required permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chandler
How Chandler compares: Cities with the Strictest Fire Pit Rules·Compare Chandler to another location·View the Arizona fire regulations overview
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