Bay of Plenty moves to open fire season

29 Kohitātea 2026

The Bay of Plenty will move to an open fire season from 9am Friday 30 January, until further notice.

An open fire season means fires can be lit without a permit, as long as people use common sense and follow fire safety guidelines, which can be found on www.checkitsalright.nz.

Announcing the change, District Manager Jeff Maunder says recent rainfall across the district means restrictions are no longer necessary.

"With more showery weather forecast over the coming weeks the risk has reduced.

"We still encourage anyone wanting to burn off old piles to have a burn plan in place.

"If you’re planning on lighting a fire, visit www.checkitsalright.nz to check if it’s safe to light.

"Keep burn piles small. Don’t light more than one at a time and have sufficient means to fully extinguish any burn offs," he says.

People can find more fire safety advice at www.checkitsalright.nz