Starting Wednesday, Pinal County Air Quality will begin issuing only three-day open burning permits.  

All permits will expire by May 1, and the county will suspend the issuance of all open burning permits on April 30, according to a county press release.  

Burn permits allow for the disposal of plant material by open burning during limited daytime hours.

State law prohibits open burning from May 1 through Sept. 30 in the “Area A” portion of Pinal County that includes Apache Junction, Queen Creek, Gold Canyon, San Tan Valley and portions of Florence. 

“The annual cycle of rising temperatures will quickly dry seasonal vegetation, leading to an acute wildfire risk in the desert and upland areas of the county,” the release continued. “The suspension of burn permits will continue until the summer monsoons arrive and mitigate the dual risks to public safety and public health.”

Options for obtaining a three-day open burn permit include:

• In person from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday at the Florence office, 85 N. Florence St., Development Services Building.
• In person using a kiosk from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday and Wednesday at the Mammoth office, 118 Catalina St. The kiosk is closed from 12:30 to 1 p.m. for lunch.
• Online 24 hours, seven days a week, however, permits are only issued from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and may take up to 24 hours to process.