Aurora, CO Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Aurora, CO, also called the burn ban, open burning, or fire restriction ordinance, set when you can burn yard waste, debris, or run a recreational fire.
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- City Code §§ 114-43, 114-44
- Open burning requires
- county air pollution variance
- Variance board appointed by
- Arapahoe, Adams, or Douglas commissioners
- Code currency
- through Ordinance 2026-17, May 2026
- Penalty basis
- general penalty, City Code § 1-13
Summary
Aurora bans burning combustible refuse in unapproved incinerators and treats open burning the same way -- violators must get a variance from the county air pollution variance board before burning is allowed.
It shall be unlawful for any person to burn any combustible refuse in any incinerator within the city except in an approved multiple-chamber incinerator or in equipment found by the air pollution control officer of the tri-county district health department, in advance of such use, to be equally effective for the purpose of air pollution control as an approved multiple-chamber incinerator.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or cause to be operated, any incinerator in such a manner as to create emissions which violate the ambient air standards and emission standards as established by the state department of public health. (Code 1979, § 40-25)
Sec. 114-44. Same—Variance. Any person desiring to burn either by open burning or by incinerator burning, which may be in violation of the provisions of section 114-43, may apply to the air pollution variance board established by the board of county commissioners in which burning is proposed to occur, and if a variance is obtained from the board, then burning shall be permitted under such restrictions and conditions as may be imposed by the air pollution variance board. (Code 1979, § 40-26)
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-30, passed June 22, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Aurora City Code Section 114-43 makes it unlawful to burn combustible refuse in any incinerator unless it is an approved multiple-chamber unit, or equipment the tri-county health department's air pollution control officer certifies as equally effective. Section 114-44 extends the same standard to open burning: anyone who wants to burn refuse outdoors in a way that would violate Section 114-43 must apply to the air pollution variance board appointed by the county commissioners for the county where the burning would occur -- Arapahoe, Adams, or Douglas, since Aurora spans all three. A variance sets the conditions under which the burning is then allowed. Current through Ordinance 2026-17, passed May 18, 2026.
Violations & Fines
Burning refuse in an unapproved incinerator or by open burning without a county variance violates Secs. 114-43 and 114-44, punishable under the general penalty in City Code Section 1-13 -- fines and municipal court prosecution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn yard waste or trash outside in Aurora, Colorado?
Which county handles Aurora's burn variance applications?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Aurora
How Aurora compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Aurora to another location·View the Colorado fire regulations overview
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Outdoor Burning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Arapahoe County handle outdoor burning.