Tempe, AZ Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Tempe, 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
- Seasonal ban
- No outdoor fires May 1 to September 30
- Covers
- Fire pits and all other outdoor fires (§13A-26)
- Year-round overlay
- No fires on high pollution advisory days
- City property
- Wood-burning outdoors always banned on city land
- Exceptions
- Only via state permit under A.R.S. §49-501
- Enforcement
- County under A.R.S. §49-513, City notice process
Summary
Tempe bans all outdoor fires, including fire pits and other open burning, from May 1 through September 30 each year under general code § 13A-27(a). Outside that window, no outdoor fire may burn during a high pollution advisory or a county-declared restricted burn period, and the only way around the ban is a state-authorized exception or permit under A.R.S. § 49-501.
(a)From May 1 through September 30 each year it is unlawful for any person to ignite, cause to be ignited, permit or allow to be ignited, any outdoor fire.(b)No outdoor fire may be ignited or maintained during any high pollution advisory day forecast for particulate matter or restricted burn period declared by the county.(c)The restrictions in subsections (a) and (b) may be varied only by the exceptional circumstances listed in A.R.S. § 49-501 or through a permit issued by the State or its delegated authority under A.R.S. § 49-501.(d)Wood-burning in outdoor fires is prohibited at all times on city property, including city parks, unless permitted under Section 5-2, Chapter 23, or other authority of the Code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: City Code: Supplement 33 Update 4 | Zoning and Development Code: Supplement 11 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
' Section 13A-26 makes clear the article covers 'fire pits and other outdoor fires,' not just bonfires or debris burning. Section 13A-27(a) then makes it unlawful for any person to ignite, cause to be ignited, or allow to be ignited any outdoor fire from May 1 through September 30 each year, Tempe's warm-weather ozone season. Section 13A-27(b) layers a second, year-round restriction on top: no outdoor fire may be ignited or maintained during any high pollution advisory forecast for particulate matter or any restricted burn period the county declares.
§ 49-501 or a permit issued by the State or its delegated authority under that statute, meaning Tempe itself does not grant local exceptions. Section 13A-27(d) adds a standalone, always-on ban: wood-burning in outdoor fires is prohibited at all times on city property, including city parks, unless permitted under Code § 5-2, Chapter 23, or other City authority. § 49-513 and Maricopa County Air Pollution Control Regulations § 300, plus written notices of violation from the Public Works Director carrying a ten-working-day correction window, and unabated conditions are deemed a public nuisance subject to civil abatement at the owner's expense.
Violations & Fines
Violations of Tempe's outdoor fire rules are enforced under A.R.S. § 49-513 and Maricopa County Air Pollution Control Regulations § 300, per § 13A-56. The Public Works Director or designee can issue a written notice of violation giving ten working days to submit a correction plan, and an unresolved condition is deemed a public nuisance that the City can abate at the violator's expense, in addition to any county civil penalty and recovery of the City's attorney's fees and enforcement costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have a fire pit in Tempe in the summer?
Are outdoor fires ever allowed in Tempe outside the summer ban?
Can I burn wood in a Tempe city park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tempe
How Tempe compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Tempe to another location·View the Arizona fire regulations overview
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Outdoor Burning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Maricopa County handle outdoor burning.