Tucson, AZ Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Tucson, 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
- Citation
- Tucson Code §§ 11-5 to 11-11
- Default rule
- Open burning prohibited, declared a nuisance
- Permit issuer
- Fire chief; no fee charged
- Smoke limit
- Not traveling past 100 ft near buildings
- Max permit length
- 6 months
- Smoke standard
- Ringelmann Chart density 2 or greater
- Civil remedy
- Superior Court abatement, § 11-11
Summary
Tucson Code § 11-5 bans burning garbage, rubbish, trash, tree prunings, junk auto parts, tires, and similar waste in open fires, bonfires, incinerators, or other burning devices anywhere in the city outside a regular building, declaring any unauthorized fire a public nuisance unless the fire chief has issued the free permit required by § 11-7.
The burning of garbage, rubbish, trash, grass clippings, tree prunings, waste trade materials, junk auto bodies or parts thereof, or tires, and any other articles in open fires, bonfires, incinerator or burning devices, or in other manner, outside of a regular building and within the city is hereby prohibited except as specifically permitted. Except as specifically provided, any such fire or burning is hereby declared to be a public nuisance and unlawful.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-150: Current through June 23, 2026).
Full Breakdown
§ 11-6 backs that up by making it unlawful to kindle, maintain, or operate any open fire, bonfire, incinerator, or burning device outside a building without the permit § 11-7 describes. That permit is free, 'No charge shall be made for such permit', and is issued by the fire chief only after inspecting the premises and burning devices and finding the fire won't send dense smoke, acrid odors, sparks, or fly ash more than 100 feet from its source in neighborhoods where buildings sit closer together than 100 feet; in more open areas, the chief weighs surrounding conditions and building placement instead.
The chief must refuse the permit outright if it would create a fire hazard from nearby buildings or other physical conditions. S. § 11-11 layers Chapter 1's general penalty on top of civil remedies: beyond a criminal fine or jail time, the Pima County Superior Court can abate and enjoin the nuisance in a civil action.
Violations & Fines
Burning trash, yard waste, junk auto parts, tires, or similar material outdoors without the fire chief's permit is a public nuisance and violation of §§ 11-5 and 11-6, punishable under the Chapter 1 general penalty, up to a $2,500 fine, six months in jail, and 36 months probation, and the Pima County Superior Court may separately abate and enjoin the fire as a civil nuisance under § 11-11.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn trash or yard waste in Tucson?
How do I get a burn permit in Tucson?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tucson
How Tucson compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Tucson to another location·View the Arizona fire regulations overview
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