Rural fire
Under the Forest and Rural Fires Act 1977, the Auckland Council is the Rural Fire Authority. This excludes:
- Department of Conservation owned land
- Defence property
- areas of other fire authorities
- urban fire district of the New Zealand Fire Service.
Our responsibility as the Rural Fire Authority is to prevent, control and suppress all fires within our district.
If any fire gets out of hand Call 111 immediately
On this page:
Fire seasons
Are you in the rural fire zone?
Apply for a permit
Requirements when lighting a fire
Fires on Hauraki Gulf Islands
Fires in public places and urban areas
Outdoor cooking and heating
Properties with overgrown grass
Guy Fawkes - bonfires
Rural fire stations
Volunteer rural fire fighters
Fire plan
Fire seasons
There are three fire seasons defined in the Forest and Rural Fires Act. These are set out below.
In addition, the Auckland Council has bylaws relating to Rural Fire. The selection and dates of the fire seasons are the responsibility of the Principal Rural Fire Officer and may vary dependant on the conditions.
- Restricted fire season
During the restricted fire season, a fire permit is required to light any fire in the open air. The restricted fire season is usually from 1 December to 31 March.
See apply for a fire permit below.
- Open fire season
Fires may be lit in the open air with no requirement for a permit. When a fire is lit, it must be done in a safe and considerate manner and does not cause a nuisance to your neighbours. The permitted activity rules can also be found in Air Land and Water Plan. The open fire season is usually from 1 April to 30 November each year.
- Prohibited fire season
A prohibited fire season can be imposed at any time throughout the year by the Principal Rural Fire Officer during periods of extreme fire danger, and no fire of any description may be lit in the open air. The only exception is if it is authorised by the Principal or Deputy Rural Fire Officer.
If you wish to apply for a permit to light a fire in Kawau Island, Waiheke Island or Great Barrier Island, please see the permit information below which is specific to these areas.
Lighting fires in urban areas in Auckland is not permitted.
Note: The dates given are the usual dates of the seasons. This, however, does not prevent the declaration of a Restricted or Prohibited season at any time during the year if conditions warrant it.
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Are you in a rural fire zone?
If you are unsure as to whether you are in a rural fire zone, please contact us or email the rural fire team here.
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Apply for a fire permit
If you wish to light a fire in a rural area in Auckland during a restricted fire season you will need to apply for a rural fire permit.
If you wish to apply for a permit to light a fire in Kawau Island, Waiheke Island or Great Barrier Island, please see the permit information below specific to these areas.
- To apply for a fire permit
- A site inspection by a Council Rural Fire Officer is required before any fire can be lit.
- Often when issuing a permit it is an advantage to meet the applicant on site.
- Permits normally will not be issued outside of council business hours from 8am – 5pm Monday to Friday, unless otherwise arranged.
Note: A lead-time of three working days is required for the issuing of fire permits.
To assist the Rural Fire Officer conducting the inspection, the following general conditions must be met before a permit will be issued:
- fire must be supervised at all times
- fire must be out by sunset each day ( unless varied by permit condition)
- fire must be at least 10 metres from any structure
- fire must be at least 5 metres from any boundary
- there must be a cleared area around the fire site
- there must be a means (water etc) present to control any fire spread
- the fire must not cause a nuisance to others.
There is no charge for the issue of fire permits.
Apply online for your rural fire permit here.
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Requirements when lighting a fire
Any person lighting an open air fire must ensure:
- the fire is supervised at all times
- appropriate equipment is on hand to extinguish the fire if it gets out of control
- the fire is not lit during strong winds or in weather conditions likely to spread the fire beyond the limits of the property
- the fire is appropriately located to prevent the spread of the fire.
Note: If any fire on your property gets out of control or is creating a nuisance, all costs associated with putting out the fire may be passed on to you.
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Fires on Hauraki Gulf Islands
The islands of the Hauraki Gulf, including but not limited to Kawau, Waiheke and Great Barrier Islands operate within a restricted fire season year round. This does not preclude implementing a prohibited fire season.
Kawau Island
A fire permit is required for all fires lit in the open air on Kawau Island.
Permits are available from the Department of Conservation Kawau Island office, Mansion House, Kawau Island. Phone 09 422 8882.
Waiheke Island
A fire permit is required to light a fire on your property in rural areas of Waiheke. Fires must be extinguished by 4pm while there is still enough light to monitor it.
Contact us for more information.
Great Barrier Island
Fires are restricted on Great Barrier Island all year round. A permit is required for all fires. Permits are issued free of charge by the Great Barrier Island service centre, Hector Sanderson Road, Claris. Phone 09 429 0258.
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Fires in public places and urban areas
It is illegal to have an open fire in any urban areas and public places in the Auckland region, including beaches, foreshores, parks, reserves and forests. This rule also applies to the Hauraki Gulf islands where people often mistakenly believe fires are allowed and safe.
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Outdoor cooking and heating
Outdoor fires for heating or cooking like:
are allowed if used in a safe and considerate manner, when basis prevention measures are adhered to.
These must be in conditions where any smoke, ash or other discharge to air is not noxious and does not create a nuisance to neighbours. These fires can generally be burned without further permission with the exception of hangis and umus on Waiheke or Great Barrier islands. You will need a fire permit in these areas which are issued free of charge.
You do not require permission for a hangi or umu within the Auckland isthmus when they are conducted in a safe and considerate manner.
Outdoor burning and the use of single chamber incinerators are a major source of pollution in the Auckland region. When materials are burnt in the open or in backyard incinerators, the fire is not hot enough and does not have sufficient oxygen, to destroy air pollutants.
As well as producing harmful pollutants, open fires and fires in unapproved incinerators can at best be a real nuisance to neighbours (odour, smoke, ash, and soiling of surfaces).
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Properties with overgrown grass
Overgrown properties are a very common complaint all year round and can have some serious implications. Council will become involved with overgrown properties if they involve a potential risk to health by:
- posing a fire hazard .i.e. long dry grass
- If the overgrowth is in such a state that it is likely to be a breeding ground for rats and other vermin
- If the property is in such a state that it is likely to be a breeding ground for flies, mosquitoes or other insects which are capable of causing or transmitting disease.
If you cannot get the property owner to mow it, contact the Council who will initially write to the owner and give him/her a reasonable amount of time to cut it. If it remains unmown, Council will arrange for it to be cut at the owner's expense.
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Guy Fawkes - bonfires
On Guy Fawkes Night bonfires are allowed only in rural areas when a permit has been issued. Please contact us if you are unsure or have any questions.
The following guidelines must be followed:
- Bonfires must be supervised the entire time.
- Bonfires must be fully extinguished prior to being left at the end of the night.
- All close neighbours are to be informed.
- The local fire station must be informed.
- No bonfire is to cause a smoke nuisance to any other neighbour or the fire will be extinguished.
Bonfires are prohibited within urban areas and there are no exceptions to this rule.
Pet owners are reminded to ensure their animals are safe during Guy Fawkes. Dogs and cats should be kept inside to avoid any harm and distress.
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Rural fire stations
The Auckland and Waitakere Rural Fire Authority operates sixteen rural fire stations staffed by volunteer crews, both male and female, recruited from the local community.
These fire stations are situated at:
- Orere Point, Orere Point Road, Orere Point
- Hunua, Lockwood Road, Hunua
- Awhitu, Awhitu Road, Matakawau
- Waitakere, Township Road, Waitakere
- Karekare, Lone Kauri Road, Karekare
- Bethells Valley, Bethells Road, Bethells Valley
- Muriwai, Coast Road, Muriwai
- Shelly Beach, James McLeod Road, Shelly Beach
- Ahuroa, West Coast Road, Ahuroa
- Puhoi, Ahuroa Road, Puhoi
- Matakana, Omaha Flats Road, Matakana
- Kaukapakapa, Kaipara Coast Highway, Kaukapakapa
- Kawau, Kawau Island
- Tryphena, Rosalie, Great Barrier
- Kaitoke, Hector Sanderson, Great Barrier
- Okupu, Blind Bay Road, Great Barrier
Volunteer rural fire fighters
We are always on the lookout for suitable men and women to join our Volunteer Fire Force.
The rural fire stations are staffed by dedicated people who commit their time and considerable effort into ensuring that their neighbourhoods have the best protection from fire as possible.
All rural fire stations conduct weekly training sessions and crews are also expected to attend specialist training courses on weekends when required. Fundraising and community awareness programmes are part of the normal activities.
The knowledge and satisfaction of caring, in a very practical way, for your own community, of bringing help to your neighbours when they really need a hand, makes the commitment well worth while. It is a sometimes dangerous and dirty occupation, but working as part of a trained, disciplined team is something which few people nowadays have the opportunity to do.
If you would like to be a part of this organisation and feel you could commit the time and energy to the service, contact us.
We require you to be:
- In good health
- 16 years old or over
- located within a reasonable distance from a station
- able to stand up to the rigours of service
- willing to undergo the required training
- able to work within a dedicated team.
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Fire plan
The Forest and Rural Fires Act 1977 and regulations require us to plan for fires in rural areas. Contact us if you would like a copy of the Auckland Council Rural Fire Plan.
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