Pima County, AZ Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Pima County, AZ, 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 section
- § 17.14.080(B)
- Permit issuer
- county control officer
- Structure clearance
- 50 feet minimum
- Applies to
- unincorporated Pima County only
Summary
Unincorporated Pima County bans igniting or maintaining any open outdoor fire unless it is exempt or covered by a Pima County Department of Environmental Quality open burning permit.
Unlawful Open Burning. Notwithstanding any other rule in this chapter, a person shall not ignite, cause to be ignited, permit to be ignited, allow, or maintain any open outdoor fire in a county without independent authority to permit fires except as provided in A.R.S. § 49-501 and this section.
C. Open Outdoor Fires Exempt From a Permit. The following fires do not require an open burning permit from the control officer or a delegated authority:
1. Fires used only for:
a. Cooking of food, b. Providing warmth for human beings, c. Recreational purposes, d. Branding of animals,
e. Orchard heaters for the purpose of frost protection in farming or nursery operations, and
f. The proper disposal of flags under 4 U.S.C. 1, § 8.
2. Any fire set or permitted by any public officer in the performance of official duty, if the fire is set or permission given for the following purpose:
a. Control of an active wildfire; or
b. Instruction in the method of fighting fires, except that the person setting these fires must comply with the reporting requirements of subsection (D)(3)(f).
3. Fire set by or permitted by the control officer of Department of Agriculture for the purpose of disease and pest prevention in an organized, area-wide control of an epidemic or infestation affecting livestock or crops.
4. Prescribed burns set by or assisted by the federal government or any
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-64: Contains Supplement, with local legislation through Ordinance 2026-9, passed 7-28-2026, current through 7-28-2026).
Full Breakdown
Pima County Code § 17.14.080(B) makes it unlawful to ignite, cause to be ignited, permit to be ignited, allow, or maintain any open outdoor fire in the county without independent authority to permit fires, except as allowed under A.R.S. § 49-501 and this section. Because Pima holds that independent authority, most outdoor fires, construction, agricultural, residential, and household-waste burns, need a control-officer permit specifying allowed burn hours, a 50-foot clearance from structures, and on-site fire-extinguishing equipment. This applies only in unincorporated areas; Tucson and the county's other cities issue their own burn rules.
Violations & Fines
Igniting or maintaining an open outdoor fire without a required permit or qualifying exemption is unlawful open burning, prosecutable under the criminal penalties in A.R.S. § 13-1706.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is open burning legal in unincorporated Pima County?
What must a burn permit require?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pima County
How Pima County compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Pima County to another location·View the Arizona fire regulations overview
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