Before You Light That First Fire: No Burn Days in Maricopa County

I'm Amy Richardson with Savvy Realty Group, and this is one of those rules that surprises people the first fall they live in the Valley. On days when air quality is forecast to be poor, Maricopa County declares a No Burn Day.

Everything below is from Maricopa County's own page on burning activities, which I linked at the bottom.

• Fireplaces, wood stoves and chimeneas: on a No Burn Day, burning anything other than gaseous fuels is prohibited. Gas logs are fine.
• Cooking fires: allowed only to cook, smoke or flavor food for immediate eating, started and put out promptly, and no larger than two square feet unless more is needed to reach a safe food temperature.
• Household and yard waste: never allowed to burn, on any day.

Before you light, check the Clean Air Mobile App or call 602-506-6400. The county lists fines of $50 to $250 for a residential fireplace, woodstove or chimenea violation, depending on how many you have had. An illegal outdoor fire starts at $200.

This is my own note, not the county's: a wood-burning fireplace can be a selling point, and knowing this rule helps you explain it to buyers or use it yourself. If you are buying and want to know what is in a home you are looking at, my buying page explains how I work, and you can read about Ahwatukee or reach out any time.