Burn permits

Temporary Open Burn Permits

Burn with care. Protect what matters.

Do I Need a Burn Permit?

Permit required

An outdoor fire with a total fuel area greater than 3 feet wide and 2 feet high for burning debris, waste, or cut vegetation.

Permit not required

Outdoor fires with a total fuel area less than 3 feet wide and 2 feet high used only for cooking food, providing warmth, branding animals, heating orchards, or the proper disposal of flags or a religious ceremony.

Illegal burn

Burning garbage, or any material considered dangerous or hazardous — plastics, synthetics, aerosol cans, household wares and similar.

The Picture Rocks Fire and Medical District follows Pima County Department of Environmental Quality (PDEQ) guidelines, as well as our adopted fire code, for regulations regarding open burning.

View PDEQ Guidelines

Ready to Burn?

Purchase a temporary open burn permit online, or call the administration office at 1-520-682-7878.

Apply for burn permit here

As the jurisdictional authority, any fire — permitted or not — can be discontinued if District personnel deem that it presents a fire hazard or a smoke nuisance.

Permit Conditions

  • The permit must be in your possession while burning. Only the materials named on the permit may be burned.
  • Burning construction material is not allowed — lumber, plywood, linoleum, counters.
  • Permitted hours: October 1 through March 31, 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. April 1 through September 30, 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
  • Wind speed while burning must be no less than 5 mph and no greater than 15 mph.
  • Fire control: burning must be constantly attended, with control tools on hand at all times. Minimum: a shovel and a water supply.
  • When the burn is complete or the time has expired, the fire must be completely extinguished.
  • The burn pile must be at least 50 feet from any structure, dwelling, or other combustible material.
  • The burn pile may be no larger than 4 feet by 4 feet, and materials no larger than 2 inches in diameter.
  • Burning may not be conducted on public land, or on land not owned or leased by the permittee, without written permission from the owner or land manager.
  • No refunds or extensions if a permit is revoked.
  • The Fire District may cancel a permit due to weather, ADEQ, or PDEQ alerts.

Prohibited Materials

  • Food packaging and serving materials
    Garbage from the storage, serving, or consumption of food.
  • Specified plant materials
    Oleander, poison oak, poison ivy, poison sumac.
  • Petroleum products or their containers
    Crankcase or transmission oil, asphalt shingles, or any other petroleum product.
  • Plastics and other synthetic materials
    Tires, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, polyurethane, urea formaldehyde (soft drink bottles), polypropylene (plastic milk jugs), polystyrene.
  • Known hazardous materials or their containers
    Pesticides, arsenic, lead, cadmium, mercury dimethyl sulfate, acrolein, carbon disulfide, vinyl chloride, ethyleneimine, methyl chloride, ethylene oxide, electrical wire insulation, ammunition, explosives, or any other material reasonably recognized as a potential source of hazardous emissions.

Burning that creates a nuisance or generates noxious fumes is forbidden.