Queenstown Lakes Restricted Fire Season revoked
3 May 2024
Fire and Emergency New Zealand is revoking the restricted fire season in the Queenstown Lakes fire zone in Otago from 8am Sunday, 5 May, until further notice.
This means people in this zone no longer need to have a fire permit approved by Fire and Emergency to light a fire outdoors.
Declaring the fire season change, Otago District Manager Phil Marsh says recent rain and cooler autumn temperatures has seen the fire risk drop below thresholds that require ongoing fire permitting restrictions.
"While permits are no longer required to light an open-air fire, our local team remains on hand to provide advice to anyone looking to complete a burn," Phil Marsh says.
"Even with these cooler temperatures, vigilance around fire safety is important," he says.
"For Otago, any period of dry, settled weather at any time of year can increase the potential for unwanted fires. Escaped burns are a major contributor to this, so knowing how to burn safely is key."
For more information on completing burns safely, and to check it is safe to light on a given day, people can visit www.checkitsalright.nz.