Get a permit before you light that fire

Cooking outdoors and enjoying an evening round a camp fire are synonymous with the Kiwi summer and for landowners, summer is also a time to light fires as part of cleaning up their properties.

However, it is illegal to light a fire in the open without a permit during the current restricted fire season, which began on October 2016, says Pumicelands Rural Fire Authority’s chief executive officer and principal rural fire officer Paul Wright.

“It’s free to obtain a permit and even easier now as all you have to do is lodge an application through our website: pumicelands.co.nz Allow up to three working days to receive your permit, but it may be quicker if you have been issued permits in the past.”

In the period from October to mid-December Pumicelands had issued 3000 fire permits, a trend Paul says is encouraging and shows people are taking their responsibilities seriously.

The Pumicelands team doesn’t want to “pour cold water” on anyone’s holiday fun, but does want to ensure everyone has a safe enjoyable summer without causing fires to get out of control.

“A permit doesn’t absolve you of responsibility if a fire you light gets out of control, but gaining a permit does gave you access to valuable free information, including weather conditions. In some cases one of our rural fire officers may even visit you before issuing a permit, to assess the suitability of the fire site and provide helpful advice.”

Escaped fires have cost individuals responsible for lighting them more than $250,000 in firefighting costs. “Make sure you carry the appropriate insurance including Forest and Rural Fires Act fire suppression cover.”

Anyone lighting a fire in the open air during a restricted fire season requires a permit to do so. Failure to obtain a permit is an offence against the Forest and Rural Fires Act 1977.

Pumicelands is not responsible for fire in the larger towns and cities. These are Urban Fire Districts where firefighting is the responsibility of the NZ Fire Service and fire permit issue is the responsibility of local district councils.

“The only fires you don’t need a permit for are gas barbecues and some braziers, which have correct guards,” says Paul.

Having a permit also ensures Pumicelands has a record of where fires are being lit and so avoids the unnecessary dispatch of fire crews to fires which are under control.

“However, if you see a fire you think is a danger – phone 111 immediately.”

Pumicelands is the organisation responsible for issuing fire permits and fighting fires across about 2.35 million hectares of land in the Central North Island of New Zealand. Its mission is to protect lives, rural homes, orchards, farms, forests and conservation lands from the damaging effects of vegetation wildfires. 


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