Outdoor burning rules in Phoenix, 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.
Open burning in Phoenix requires an operational permit from the Phoenix Fire Department under Fire Code section 105.5.36, and the Maricopa County Air Quality Department separately bans burning household trash and yard waste year-round and prohibits all outdoor wood burning on declared No Burn Days under Rule 314.
The Phoenix Fire Code, amended by Ordinance G-7242, requires an operational permit for 'the kindling or maintaining of an open fire or a fire on any public street, alley, road, or other public or private ground,' with an exception only for recreational fires (section 105.5.36, Open burning or bonfire). Open burning is prohibited under Section 307.1.1 when atmospheric conditions or local circumstances make such fires hazardous. Layered on top, the Maricopa County Air Quality Department regulates all outdoor burning in Phoenix: under Rule 314, burning household waste and yard waste (such as tree trimmings) is strictly prohibited, and on a No Burn Day burning anything other than gaseous fuels in a fireplace, woodstove, or chiminea is prohibited. Maricopa County also imposes a seasonal outdoor-fire restriction in Area A from May 1 through September 30 covering fires for warmth, recreation, wood-burning chimineas and outdoor pits, and animal branding.
Conducting open burning without the required Phoenix Fire Code permit is a code violation enforceable by the fire code official. Under Maricopa County Rule 314 the minimum fine for an illegal outdoor fire is $200, and under Ordinance P-26 residential improper-burning fines range from $50 to $250.
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