Sahuarita, AZ Fire Regulations: Wildfire Zones (2026)

Sahuarita is served by the Green Valley Fire District and Rural Metro Fire Department, with the broader Sahuarita Fire District providing structural and wildland fire services to the town and surrounding unincorporated areas. The town sits at the base of the Santa Rita Mountains to the east and along the Santa Cruz River floodplain, creating a wildland-urban interface where residential development meets native Sonoran Desert vegetation including creosote, palo verde, mesquite, and seasonal grasses that dry out during pre-monsoon months (May-June). Arizona State Forestry and Fire Management coordinates burn bans and fire restrictions across southern Arizona, typically issuing Stage I or Stage II restrictions during extreme fire weather. Pima County enforces defensible-space guidelines recommending that homeowners maintain a minimum 30-foot clearance of combustible vegetation around structures, with a secondary zone of thinned vegetation extending to 100 feet on sloped lots. New development in wildfire-prone areas may be subject to fire-resistant building material requirements and enhanced access road standards for emergency apparatus. The pecan orchards and irrigated agriculture along the Santa Cruz Valley reduce fire risk in some areas but create fuel loads when fields are fallow.