Peoria, AZ Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)

Section 7-69(a)(2) limits open flame in Peoria parks to barbecue containers located inside a ramada; any fire that is lit has to stay under the continuous care of a competent person from the moment it's kindled until it's fully extinguished. The same subsection bans discarding a lit match, cigar, cigarette, tobacco, or paper against a building, boat, or vehicle, or under a tree or in underbrush, a wildfire-prevention measure that matters in Peoria's desert climate. The City Manager or a designee can go further and declare a Fire Emergency, which shuts down all fires and tobacco smoking across one or more park and recreation areas until it's lifted.

Subsection (a)(3) separately regulates cooking equipment: bringing in or using a portable grill, portable heater, or deep fryer requires a City-issued permit, distinct from the fixed barbecue containers already built into ramadas. Both rules sit inside Peoria's broader park fire-and-weapons section, which also bans fireworks under (a)(1) except through a Fire Marshall-approved display permit, and bans glass containers and most weapons under (a)(4) through (a)(7). Enforcement runs through the Police Department and Community Services Department under Section 7-70, and either a peace officer or a park ranger can order a violator to leave the area.