Fires

If you want to light a fire outside you might need a permit. It's also a good idea to consider how your neighbours might be affected.

Fire regulations

Before 2017, local councils made their own fire rules. When Fire and Emergency New Zealand was established, the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act 2017 took over most fire-related rules, which ended Council's fire regulations. Now local councils can't declare fire seasons or issue fire permits.

Council does not have any fire regulations besides those managed by Fire and Emergency New Zealand, and the Department of Conservation for conservation land like the Waikanae Scientific Reserve.

Fire permits

Fire and Emergency New Zealand decides the fire season and issues fire permits for Kāpiti. To learn more about the current fire season, or to apply for a permit, visit Fire and Emergency New Zealand. 

You can also contact Fire and Emergency New Zealand directly.

Fires on the beach

There's nothing better than a campfire at the beach, enjoying time with friends and whānau while cooking potatoes and pipi.

If you want to light a fire on the beach, you must check with Fire and Emergency New Zealand to see if you need a permit. You can check and apply for a permit at Fire and Emergency New Zealand.

Before you go home

When you’re done, make sure your fire is completely out. Use water to put out the fire and any leftover wood or coals. Break apart the wet wood to help it cool down and stop it catching fire again.

Don’t cover the fire with sand, as this can keep the embers hot and hidden, which is a danger for people walking barefoot.

Always clean up and make sure the area is safe for everyone!

Lighting a fire

When you light a fire, think about your neighbours. Some might have asthma, be elderly, or have small children, and smoke can affect them. It’s important to keep smoke to a minimum.

Outdoor fires

Whether you need a permit or not, always be considerate when starting an outdoor fire. Let your neighbours know before you light the fire. This way they can close their windows, bring in their washing, or stay inside if they want to. If they know about your fire ahead of time, they won't worry and call 111.

You might also think about these alternatives instead of burning:

• Take your rubbish to transfer stations around our district.
• Use kerbside services for small amounts of garden waste.
• Make mulch or compost plant waste.

Indoor fireplaces

Greater Wellington has helpful instructions on How to burn smoke-free indoors on their website. Some other good tips for using indoor fireplaces are:

• use enough kindling to start your fire
• don't put too much firewood in at the beginning
• stack wood loosely in the firebox so air can flow around it
• always use dry wood
• keep the fire burning brightly
• keep the air control open for at least 30 minutes
• burn smaller logs instead of one big log
• if you add more logs, set the air control to “high” for 20–30 minutes
• don’t block air supply to the base of the fire with a log
• don't dampen down the fire
• never burn rubbish in the fireplace.

Reporting a smoke nuisance

If you notice smoke or smells coming from a fire that are bothering you, this is called a smoke nuisance. Kāpiti Coast District Council and Greater Wellington (GW) can help with these complaints.

Council can investigate these issues under the Health Act 1956. GW checks what materials are being burnt, under their Operative Natural Resources Plan (section 5.1.3).

If you’re bothered by smoke from a controlled fire, you can call Greater Wellington, or contact us at the time so an Environmental Health Officer can look into it. See Greater Wellington's Report an environmental incident page.

Reporting a fire hazard 

If you spot something that could be a fire hazard, like an overgrown section, you can report it to Fire and Emergency New Zealand. For more information and to request a fire hazard assessment, visit Fire hazards in your community on the Fire and Emergency website.