Information for rural fire permit holders

Notes for information of Permittee

Under the Forest and Rural Fires Act 1977 and the Forest and Rural Fires Regulations 2005 there are compulsory conditions to the undermentioned effect. For their full legal form, please see the Act and Regulations.

1. "Open air" - "Open air" means not in a fireplace, incinerator, barbecue, or other place, duly approved in each case.
2. Wind, etc - Do not light up in a strong wind, or in conditions likely to spread the fire or to present fire hazard (including an adverse long-range weather forecast). Check the weather forecast.
3. Camping, etc - If camping or cooking, or needing comfort or warmth, keep fire at least 3 m clear of any tree. Log. Stump, or dry vegetation. Remove all combustible material within 3 m of the fire site.
4. Patrol - Patrol the fire until completely out or cannot spread.
5. Notice - Before lighting a controlled burn, notify neighbours as directed.
6. Extreme Hazard - PERMITS ARE SUSPENDED by fire hazard emergency warnings or orders prohibiting all open air fires. Check by radio, or ring the Fire Authority. If fire is essential for emergency (e.g. Stock disease) at such times, seek a "special permit".
7. Showing Permit - This written permit must be produced on demand by a member of Police or a Fire Office.
8. Damage - A permit is not a legal defence against claims for damage caused by fire.
9. Parks - Except where officially signposted otherwise, permits are needed at all times for open air fires in National or Conservation Parks, in specially protected sites, and in (including their fire safety margins of usually 1 kilometre) other State areas or forest areas.
10. Escape - If the fire gets out of hand, try to extinguish it. Urgently dial 111 and notify the Fire Authority.
11. Offences - It is an offence to light an open air fire without the appropriate permit. Or to break permit conditions, or to let a fire spread to and injure a State area, forest, or especially protected property, or to leave it unprotected against such a spread.
12. Joint Permits - Obtain further permits from soil conservation (e.g. Regional Council), Crown, or other statutory fire authorities whose consent is required, if this is not a joint permit signed on their behalf.
13. Landholder - Separate consent by the landholder may be needed.

Revocation - This Permit is revocable upon notice at any time without prior warning.

Fire Permit conditions

Your attention is drawn to the "Special Conditions" on the bottom of your Fire Permit and "Notes for Information of Permittee". Take time to read these and the following.

1. The holder of a Department of Conservation Fire Permit shall notify the following persons and bodies of the proposed date and time of commencing to burn vegetation, at least one week prior to, and, when specifically required in the Special Conditions above, on the day of burning and before burning begins.
   (a) All occupiers of land adjoining the property containing the Burn Area.
   (b) The Rural Fire Officer of the relevant Department of Conservation Area Office.
   (c) All others as may be specified by way of any Special Conditions on the Fire Permit.
2. The holder of this Fire Permit or their deputy shall take adequate measures to control the authorised fire and confine it to the Burn Area. The fire must be located in the position as discussed on the day of request and/or inspection.
3. A long range weather forecast must be obtained prior to lighting your fire. Met Service Coastal Marine forecast is recommended phone 0900 999 09 or +64 9 438 8050.
4. No fire shall be lit when conditions are such, or are predicted, (e.g. strong winds) that the fire is likely to spread beyond the limits of the area subject to this Fire Permit. Use the Beaufort Force Wind Scale table as a guide, (table attached). Your fire MUST NOT BE LIT if winds over force 3 or 15kph are predicted.
5. Permit holders are advised that to reduce the risk of fires getting out of control, burning should normally be carried out in the afternoon (after 1.00pm by which time the wind pattern for the day is usually established).
6. No fire shall be left unattended. Fires are to be watched at all times for potential ember transfer and resultant spot fires outside the intended fire site, and, for fire edge creeping across firebreaks.
7. In the event of any fire moving outside an area authorised by this Fire Permit, the permittee or their deputy shall, as soon as practical, advise the Rural Fire Officer of the relevant Department of Conservation Area Office, and shall co-operate fully in suppression of the fire. If your fire gets out of control telephone 111 emergency services immediately and request the Fire Service. Give accurate instructions of your location and how to get there.
8. When any warning or order is issued by the National Rural Fire Authority, or an Officer of the Department of Conservation, suspending all or any Fire Permits to burn in respect of any area subject to this Fire Permit, this Fire Permit shall be suspended for such period as may be specified in the warning or order.
9. This Fire Permit shall cease to have any legal effect upon the issuance of any warning, order or notice concerning the prohibition of fires during periods of extreme fire hazard or concerning any Prohibited Fire Season.
10. This Fire Permit shall not discharge any person from liability for damage caused by any fire lit pursuant to this Fire Permit.
11. Fire Permit holders are warned that you will be held responsible for any damage to power or telegraph poles and lines resulting from fires lit by you. You are advised to contact the appropriate authority before lighting fires adjacent to such installations.
12. It is recommended fire permit holders should not light land clearing fires until public liability and fire suppression insurance has been purchased.
13. Where a Controlled Burn Plan has been provided, all requirements of the Plan must be met prior to the fire being lit. The procedure described to light the burn must be followed.
14. It is recommended that the permit holder contacts his/her Regional and District Councils in regards to burning requirements pursuant to the Resource Management Act 1991 and District Plans.

back to top