Licences and regulations

Rural fires - Open Fire Season

The Auckland Rural Fire District is now in an open fire season. This means that fires may be lit in the open air with no requirement for a permit. Read more

Auckland Council is the Rural Fire Authority for Auckland under the Forest and Rural Fires Act 1977. 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.

On this page you will find information about how we manage the risk of fire, including fire seasons, fire permits, fire stations, and volunteer fire fighters. You can also read about your obligations to help prevent fires.

If any fire gets out of hand call 111 immediately.

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.

    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.
      
  • 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.

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 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. Fire is a land management tool and as such is for the purposes of clearing land and debris on the property.  The use of fire in a recreational environment is discouraged.  

  • To apply for a fire permit 
  • A site inspection by an Auckland Council Rural Fire Officer may be 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
  • Fires must be fully extinguished prior to being left at the end of the night.
  • The material you are wanting to burn is dry vegetation or untreated wood
  • No commercial waste is to be burnt 
  • All close neighbours are to be informed. 
  • No fire is to cause a smoke nuisance to any neighbour or the fire will be extinguished. 
  • Fires are only to be burnt during the hours of daylight and settled by night fall. 
  • Fires are NOT to be burnt in conditions of high wind. Low wind or still conditions are recommended. 
  • Any fire must have a reasonable clear space or fire break around the base of the fire. A simple rule is twice the height of the fire. 
  • The fire must not be within a minimum of 5 meters of any structure, other vegetation or property boundary.  For larger fires this margin will need to be increased.

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.

If you wish to light a fire you will need to apply for a rural fire permit.

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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:

  • hangis or
  • brazier fires

are allowed in the Auckland Rural Fire District, excluding Hauraki Gulf Islands if used in a safe and considerate manner, when basic 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.

Hangis, umus and brazier fires on Hauraki Gulf Islands will need a fire permit which will be issued free of charge.  

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.

Please contact us if you are unsure or have any questions.

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Guy Fawkes - bonfires

Fire is a land management tool and as such is for the purposes of clearing land and debris on the property.  The use of fire in a recreational environment is discouraged.

On Guy Fawkes Night bonfires are allowed only in rural areas unless it is a restricted fire season where a permit is required. Please contact us if you are unsure or have any questions.

The following guidelines must be followed:

  1. Bonfires must be supervised the entire time.
  2. Bonfires must be fully extinguished prior to being left at the end of the night.
  3. All close neighbours are to be informed.
  4. The local fire station must be informed.
  5. No bonfire is to cause a smoke nuisance to any other neighbour or the fire will be extinguished.
  6. Fires are only to be burnt during the hours of daylight and settled by night fall.
  7. Fires are not to be burnt in conditions of high wind. Low wind or still conditions are recommended.
  8. Any fire must have a reasonable clear space or fire break around the base of the fire. A simple rule is twice the height of the fire.
  9. Fire must not be within a minimum of 5 meters of any structure, other vegetation or property boundary.  For larger fires this margin will need to be increased.

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 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 Rural Authority Fire Plan.
 

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