Flagstaff, AZ Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

Flagstaff adopts the International Fire Code by reference in Title 5, Chapter 5-02, and amends it section by section in Flagstaff City Code Section 5-02-001-0005. One of those amendments strikes the standard IFC exception that lets most jurisdictions treat small backyard recreational fires as exempt from an open burning permit: Flagstaff deletes that exception from Section 105.6.3 outright, so a fire pit, campfire, or other open flame is governed by the City's open burning permit rules rather than treated as automatically exempt. The Fire Code is enforced by the Bureau of Fire Prevention under the Fire Chief (Section 5-02-001-0002), and violating any provision of the adopted code, including the open burning section, is a class one misdemeanor punishable by fine and/or imprisonment under Section 5-02-001-0004, with each day of a continuing violation counted as a separate offense.

The rule bites hardest during red-flag conditions: under the short-term rental public safety standards at Section 3-12-001-0013.E, an STR owner must remove, disable, or securely lock any fire pit, open-flame barbecue, or grill whenever Stage 2 or higher fire restrictions are in effect, restoring them only once restrictions drop to Stage 1 or Stage 0; gas appliances with a functional shutoff switch are the only exemption. Given Flagstaff's ponderosa forest setting and wildfire history, City and Coconino National Forest fire restrictions are checked and posted at flagstaff.az.gov, and both residents and STR guests are expected to follow the active stage.