How do No Burn Day fines work in Maricopa County, and how do I get alerts?

Phoenix Fireplace & Chimney · November 7, 2026

The penalty ladder

Maricopa County's P-26 page lays out the civil penalties for burning during a restricted-burn period. The county's Burning Activities page sums it up as fines ranging from $50 to $250 depending on the number of violations. Older news stories that say the first offense costs money are out of date.

Here is the ladder as the county lists it:

• First violation: a warning notice.
• Second violation: $50.
• Third violation: $100.
• Fourth violation and every one after: $250.

What counts as a violation

On a declared day, P-26 bans operating a wood fireplace or woodstove unless it is an approved woodburning device, and even those must burn only seasoned wood with no visible smoke after 20 minutes. It also bans operating a chiminea, an outdoor fireplace or any other outdoor device burning solid fuel, and any fire pit or similar outdoor fire.

A fire that was already going when the restriction started is covered too. The rule says you must withhold new fuel for the length of the restricted period, so adding a log after the start time is a violation even if you lit the fire earlier.

Some burning rules apply every day of the year, not only on No Burn Days. Only seasoned wood with moisture at or under 20 percent may be burned, and paper, plastic, painted wood, garbage and tires are never allowed.

A different rule, a bigger fine

Outdoor fires are also governed by the county's Rule 314. The Burning Activities page notes that the minimum fine for an illegal outdoor fire under Rule 314 is $200. That rule is what makes recreational wood fires in backyard pits illegal from May 1 to September 30 in Area A, regardless of whether a No Burn Day is declared. It is easy to confuse the two, but the summer ban has no warning step.

How the county tells you, and how to get notified

The P-26 page says restricted-burn periods are announced at least three hours before enforcement starts. There is no fixed calendar; days are declared when forecasts call for pollution to build up, mostly in the cooler months and often around the holidays. Ways to find out:

• The Clean Air Make More mobile app and website, where the daily status is posted.
• Email and text alerts, which you can sign up for through the Clean Air Make More site.
• The county's social media accounts and press releases.
• The Maricopa County Air Quality phone line, 602-506-6400, including a recorded message.

Exemptions are narrow

P-26 allows a few exemptions, each needing a written application and approval from the county's Control Officer. New sole-source-of-heat exemptions have not been issued since December 31, 1995. Temporary exemptions exist for economic or health reasons and for emergencies such as a broken heating system or an involuntary utility shutoff. Cooking fires for food you are about to eat are allowed under the county's cooking exemption.

If you live in San Tan Valley, most of Apache Junction, Gold Canyon, the city of Maricopa or part of Queen Creek, you are in Pinal County. Pinal County runs its own air-quality program, so check its rules rather than relying on Maricopa County's alerts.

Taking the guesswork out

Gas is exempt: the county's restrictions cover burning anything other than gaseous fuels, so gas logs and gas inserts can run on a No Burn Day. For a family that likes a fire every winter evening, a gas insert in an older wood fireplace ends the app-checking for good. HomeGuide's 2026 guide puts an installed gas insert at $2,000 to $5,000 and a full wood-to-gas conversion at $1,500 to $8,000. We measure and quote for free.