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Yuma, AZ Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Outdoor burning rules in Yuma, 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

Permit fee
$150.00 Open Burning permit, fire fee schedule
Governing adoption
§ 131-15, 2024 International Fire Code as amended
Destructor setback
500 ft from residences/fuel storage, 250 ft power lines
Burning hours
1 hr after sunrise to 2 hrs before sunset
Weekend/holiday burning
Not authorized under § 2811.7
Enforcer
Yuma Fire Department, Community Risk Reduction division

Summary

Open burning in Yuma requires a Fire Department permit costing $150, and operators using an air curtain destructor or firebox for agricultural or lumber waste must also hold an ADEQ permit, keep fixed distances from buildings and power lines, and burn only within set daily hours.

Section 307.4 Location. Amend to read. "The location for open burning shall be at the approval of the Authority Having Jurisdiction, as outlined in the required operational permit from section 105.5.36." ... 2811.1. Outdoor fires in an air curtain destructor/firebox. Prior to conducting an outdoor fire in an air curtain destructor or firebox, the owner or operator of the air curtain destructor shall obtain an applicable permit from ADEQ, and follow all applicable state requirements in addition to this section. ... 2811.3 Equipment Set-Up. (1) An owner or operator of an air curtain destructor shall use a firebox and not a pit or trench to conduct outdoor burning. ... 2811.7 Burning Hours for Air Curtain Destructors. (1) Year-round: ignite fire no earlier than one hour after sunrise; and (2) Year-round: extinguish fire no later than two hours before sunset ... Burning using an air curtain destructor is not authorized on weekends or on holidays.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-74: Current through May 20, 2026).

Full Breakdown

36, meaning every open burn needs Yuma Fire Department sign-off through an operational permit. 00. The code adds an entire new section, 2811, for the air curtain destructors and fireboxes used to burn agricultural, timber and lumber waste in Yuma's farming areas: operators must first obtain an ADEQ permit and follow state rules, must burn inside a lined firebox rather than a pit or trench, must keep destructors at least 500 feet from any residence, pipeline or fuel storage area and 250 feet from power lines, and must space multiple destructors at least 1,000 feet apart.

Burning hours run no earlier than one hour after sunrise and must stop at least two hours before sunset, with loading cut off two hours before the end of burning; burning is barred outright on weekends and holidays, and only on days ADEQ designates as a local burn day. A long list of prohibited materials, including tires, treated wood, plastics, asbestos and hazardous waste, may never be burned in the destructor. 1, administers and enforces these permits.

Violations & Fines

Burning without the required operational permit, or violating the fire code's location, distance, hours or prohibited-materials conditions, is enforceable under amended Section 113.4, which subjects violators to the penalty and fine described in this ordinance, and amended Section 113.3.3 lets the city attach any enforcement action taken against the property as a lien on the real estate itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit to burn debris outdoors in Yuma?
Yes. Amended Fire Code Section 307.4 requires Authority Having Jurisdiction approval through an operational permit before any open burning location is approved, and the city's fee schedule sets that Open Burning permit at $150.
What extra rules apply to agricultural or lumber-yard burning?
Operators using an air curtain destructor or firebox under new Section 2811 need a separate ADEQ permit, must burn in a lined firebox rather than a pit or trench, and must keep the equipment at least 500 feet from residences and fuel storage and 250 feet from power lines.
Can I burn on a weekend in Yuma?
No, not with an air curtain destructor. Section 2811.7 bars weekend and holiday burning outright and limits burning hours to between one hour after sunrise and two hours before sunset on days ADEQ designates as a local burn day.
What happens if I violate the open burning rules?
Amended Section 113.4 subjects violators to the fire code's penalty and fine, and amended Section 113.3.3 allows the city to record any enforcement action against the property as a lien on the real estate.

Sources & Official References

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