Burn bans in Arizona

Four federal, state, and tribal authorities decide whether you can burn in Arizona

How Arizona decides

• Arizona has 15 counties. Restrictions are issued per land-management area, not per county — a county can sit under several overlapping agency areas at once.
• Four agencies currently publish live restriction areas: AZ State Forestry (State Trust Land), the BLM, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (tribal land).
• National Forest System land is not reliably covered — check the relevant national forest's own alert page for the most current status there.
• Maricopa County separately declares air-quality No Burn Days for residential wood burning. That program is not the same as the land-management Stage 1 / Stage 2 restrictions shown here, so Phoenix-area residents should check Maricopa County Air Quality before using a fireplace, fire pit, or chiminea.
• Knowingly burning during a posted fire restriction is a state felony in Arizona, not just a misdemeanor — A.R.S. § 13-1706.

Penalties in Arizona

Under A.R.S. § 13-1706, burning wildlands with criminal negligence is a class 2 misdemeanor (up to $750, up to 4 months in jail); recklessly is a class 1 misdemeanor (up to $2,500, up to 6 months); and doing so intentionally or knowingly while aware it violates a posted fire order is a class 6 felony (up to $150,000, up to 1 year in prison for a first offense). If the conduct is intentional and endangers a person or structure, it escalates to a class 3 felony. Anyone whose fire escapes can also be billed for suppression costs.

Classification: Misdemeanor to Class 6 felony, depending on intent (A.R.S. § 13-1706) · Maximum fine: up to $750 (negligent) / $2,500 (reckless) / $150,000 (knowing violation of a fire order)