Guides · 7 min read
No Burn Day in Phoenix: what's banned, the fines and how to check today's status this winter
A No Burn Day in Phoenix bans wood fires in fireplaces and fire pits across Maricopa County. Fines, exemptions, how to check today, and our air data.
By the Good Air team
In this article · 9 sections
A No Burn Day in Phoenix is a ban on burning wood in fireplaces, wood stoves, chimeneas and outdoor fire pits across Maricopa County, declared by the Maricopa County Air Quality Department when air pollution is expected to build up. Under county Ordinance P-26, a first violation brings a warning, then fines of $50, $100 and $250 for later ones (Maricopa County, Ordinance P-26, revised 23 October 2019). They are most likely in winter: Phoenix's air is usually at its worst in December and January.
Good Air's archive of government monitor data shows Phoenix starting the 2026–27 winter with worse air than most of the country, but not yet from smoke. From 15 September to 20 October 2026, Phoenix's daily US AQI was above 50 (Moderate or worse) on 21 of 36 days. Fine particles (PM2.5), which wood smoke adds to, averaged 4.8 µg/m³ across 10 Phoenix-area monitors, about the same as the median US monitor. The winter rise has not started yet.
What is a No Burn Day?
In county law, a No Burn Day is a "restricted-burn period". The Air Quality Department must declare one when forecasts show pollution could go above the federal eight-hour standard for ozone or carbon monoxide, or above these 24-hour levels: 120 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³) of PM10, which is mostly dust, or 30 µg/m³ of PM2.5 (Ordinance P-26, Section 3).
The county must announce it at least three hours before enforcing it, and if your fire is already lit, you must stop adding fuel. Restrictions last 24 hours from midnight (Maricopa County Parks and Recreation, viewed 22 October 2026).
What is banned on a No Burn Day in Phoenix?
The county's notice for the No Burn Day of 15 December 2025 listed these restrictions (Maricopa County Air Quality Department via AzEIN, 15 December 2025):
- Wood burning in residential fireplaces, chimeneas, outdoor fire pits and similar outdoor fires, anywhere in Maricopa County, including by people and businesses with open-burning permits.
- Leaf blowers for government employees and contractors. Residents are encouraged not to use them either.
- Off-road vehicles.
The county's burning page sums it up: on a No Burn Day, burning anything other than gas in a fireplace, wood stove or chimenea is prohibited (Maricopa County, Burning Activities, reviewed 30 September 2026). Burning household rubbish or yard waste is banned at all times.
What is still allowed?
- Gas, propane and electric. P-26 does not cover fireplaces and fire pits built to burn only natural gas or propane, and the county says electric fireplaces are fine on No Burn Days (Maricopa County, Burn Cleaner, Burn Better, reviewed 3 March 2026).
- Cooking. Grills and smokers used only for food are outside P-26. A cooking fire is allowed if you cook as soon as it is lit, put it out when the food is done, and keep it to two square feet unless a bigger fire is needed to cook food safely.
- Orchard heaters for frost protection, and the proper disposal of a US flag.
- EPA-certified wood and pellet stoves may run under strict P-26 conditions, but the county's public advice is gas only, so ask the department first.
Some households can apply for an exemption on 602-506-6010: for up to 150 days if they receive state nutrition, medical or energy assistance or face a direct health danger, or in an emergency such as broken heating. New permanent exemptions ended in 1995 (Maricopa County, Residential Fireplace and Wood Stove Exemptions, reviewed 30 September 2026). The department also offers some qualifying residents up to $2,000 to convert a wood fireplace to gas (KJZZ, 16 December 2025).
What is the fine for burning on a No Burn Day?
| Violation | Penalty under Ordinance P-26 |
|---|---|
| First | Warning notice |
| Second | $50 |
| Third | $100 |
| Fourth and later | $250 each |
You can contest a citation by showing the smoke was not from your fire, or that you hold an exemption. Illegal outdoor fires come under a separate rule, Rule 314, with a minimum fine of $200 (Burning Activities, 30 September 2026).
When is No Burn Day season in Phoenix?
P-26 has no fixed season. A No Burn Day can be declared whenever the forecast calls for it; the one on 15 December 2025 was for dust (PM10), not smoke. In practice they cluster in winter. AZFamily reported that air around Phoenix historically gets worse in December and January, when temperature inversions trap cold air near the ground (AZFamily, 15 December 2025).
October brings one change. From 1 May to 30 September, fires for warmth or recreation, including wood-burning chimeneas and outdoor pits, are banned in Area A, a county planning area that includes the Phoenix metro. That ban ended on 30 September, so since 1 October 2026 fire pits are legal again, except when burning is restricted (Burning Activities, 30 September 2026).
No Burn Day, High Pollution Advisory and Health Watch: the difference
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) writes the Phoenix air quality forecast and issues advisories. The Maricopa County Air Quality Department declares No Burn Days and enforces them.
| Alert | Issued by | What it means | Wood burning |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Pollution Advisory (HPA) | ADEQ | Ozone or particles likely to exceed the federal health standard | Banned |
| Health Watch | ADEQ | Pollution forecast to approach the federal standard | Banned for a PM10 or PM2.5 watch |
| No Burn Day | Maricopa County | Pollution could reach the P-26 levels | Banned |
Sources: ADEQ, archived 9 March 2025; ADEQ, December 2018; County Parks.
One advisory has already been issued this autumn. ADEQ declared an ozone HPA for Maricopa County for 7 and 8 October 2026, with the same wood-burning ban, a leaf-blower ban for government crews and advice to avoid off-road vehicles (Maricopa County Air Quality Department, 7 October 2026). Phoenix's daily US AQI in our archive was 77 on 7 October and 81 on 8 October, against a US median of 39 and 41.
How to check if today is a No Burn Day
- The Clean Air app from the county Air Quality Department, for iPhone and Android.
- Email or text alerts from the department's website.
- Maricopa.gov/AQ, which the county suggests checking each day.
- Phone: 602-506-6400.
Our Phoenix air quality page shows the live US AQI and ADEQ's daily forecast via AirNow; on 21 October 2026 ADEQ forecast a Good 36 for Thursday 22 October. A forecast is not a burn declaration, so check the county too. For dust storms and wind, see Arizona weather alerts.
Phoenix air this autumn: what our data shows
Among the 267 US cities we track with EPA AirNow data, from 15 September to 20 October 2026:
- Phoenix averaged a US AQI of 57 and was above 50 on 21 of 36 days. It was worse than the US median on 35 of 36 days, and placed 7th of 266 cities in our ranking of the most polluted US cities this autumn.
- October was worse than September. Phoenix was above 50 on 7 of 16 days from 15 to 30 September, and on 14 of 20 days from 1 to 20 October.
- The median US city averaged 36.5 and was above 50 on 4 days. Tucson averaged 42 and was above 50 on 2 days, 16 and 17 October, when PM10 dust spiked there.
- One Phoenix day averaged above 100: 15 September, at 155, including a single hourly reading of 867. One hour is not representative. The day was dusty, though: without that hour it would still have averaged about 124. Leaving out the two days with an hour above 300 (15 September and 10 October), Phoenix averaged 54.
Dust, not smoke, sets Phoenix's AQI so far. In our hourly data for 13 to 21 October, PM10 was the main pollutant in 88 of 209 hours, PM2.5 in 66 and ozone in 55.
PM2.5 is still low. The 10 Phoenix-area monitors that measure it averaged 4.5 µg/m³ from 15 to 30 September and 5.0 from 1 to 20 October; the median US monitor was about 4.8 in both. The highest daily average at any of them was 15.1 µg/m³, at Mesa's Brooks Reservoir on 15 September, half of P-26's 30 µg/m³ level. We will watch for the winter rise in November and December. For the difference between the two particle sizes, see PM2.5 vs PM10; for other cities, the live US ranking.
How we measured
- Data. Hourly US AQI from the EPA's AirNow system for 267 US cities, and daily PM2.5 and PM10 at individual AirNow monitors, collected by Good Air. Government monitors only.
- Daily values. The mean of each day's hourly AQI, counted only with at least 12 readings. Days are in UTC, starting at 5 pm Arizona time the day before. This is not EPA's official daily AQI.
- Phoenix-area PM2.5. The mean of the 10 AirNow monitors in the metro that report it, from Glendale to Apache Junction. The US median is across about 1,300 monitors a day.
Frequently asked questions
Is today a No Burn Day in Phoenix?
Check the Maricopa County Air Quality Department's Clean Air app, its website at Maricopa.gov/AQ, or call 602-506-6400. The county must announce a No Burn Day at least three hours before enforcing it. Good Air's Phoenix page shows ADEQ's daily air quality forecast via AirNow, a useful early sign, but only the county's declaration counts.
Can I use my fire pit on a No Burn Day?
Not if it burns wood or other solid fuel. Maricopa County bans wood burning in fireplaces, chimeneas, outdoor fire pits and similar outdoor fires on a No Burn Day. Fire pits and fireplaces that burn only natural gas or propane are allowed, and so are grills and smokers used for cooking food.
What is the fine for burning on a No Burn Day in Maricopa County?
Under Maricopa County Ordinance P-26, the first violation brings a warning notice. The second costs $50, the third $100, and the fourth and every later violation $250. Illegal outdoor fires under the county's Rule 314 carry a minimum fine of $200, which can be higher depending on what was burned.
How many No Burn Days does Phoenix have each year?
We could not find an official count for recent seasons, so we have left it out. No Burn Days are declared whenever the forecast shows pollution could reach the levels in Ordinance P-26, and they are most likely in winter. Phoenix's air is usually worst in December and January, when temperature inversions trap smoke and dust in the Valley.
What is the difference between a High Pollution Advisory and a No Burn Day?
A High Pollution Advisory is issued by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality when ozone or particle pollution is expected to exceed the federal health standard. A No Burn Day is declared by the Maricopa County Air Quality Department under Ordinance P-26. Both ban wood burning in fireplaces and fire pits across Maricopa County, stop government crews using leaf blowers and restrict off-road vehicles. The difference is who issues the alert and what triggers it.
