Permit to Light Fire & The Fire Warden
Rural Fire management in Queensland is provided by a network of volunteer fire wardens. In Queensland, there is no designated “fire season” and a permit is required at all times to light a fire, unless it falls into an exemption catergory. These permits are FREE and easily obtained by contacting the local Fire Warden.
Carolyn DeBuck is the Fire Warden of the Logan Village District. She can be contacted on (07) 3200 7444.
To check who is your local Fire Warden use the Fire Warden Finder.
Obtaining a Permit to Light Fire
An application for a ‘Permit to Light Fire’ is made through your local fire warden. Contact details for fire wardens are available through the Fire Warden Finder and the ‘Application for a Permit to Light Fire’ form can be downloaded here. Following receipt of your application the fire warden may impose conditions on a permit to reduce unwanted risk or nuisance to other people, property or to the environment. The fire warden may refuse to issue a permit if they believe that appropriate safety measures cannot be reasonably achieved.
A Notification issued under the Fire and Rescue Service Act 1990, does allow certain fires to be lit without the need to obtain a permit, except if the fires are not permitted under a local law or other legislation. If there is a local law in your local government area prohibiting the lighting of fires, a permit will not be issued by the fire warden unless you have obtained the written permission of the local government.
Fires that do not Require a Permit
Fires that are exempt from requiring a Permit to Light Fire are:
• Fires that are less than 2 metres in any direction.
Note: These fires are not exempt during any Fire Danger Period and a permit must be obtained from a fire warden.
• Fires lit outdoors in a properly prepared fireplace for the purpose of cooking (e.g. BBQ and camp fires). In this instance it is the responsibility of the person lighting or maintaining the fire to ensure adequate precautions are taken to prevent the spread of fire.
• Certain fires used by primary producers and for industrial purposes.
Most local governments provide alternative methods (other than fire) for the disposal of vegetation and waste materials such as refuse collections or disposal of green waste at a council recycling centre. Contact your local government for more information.
Important notes:
- Only a Fire Warden has the authority to issue a Permit to Light Fire.
- The Fire Warden has no authority to issue a permit outside his/her Fire Warden Area.
- The Fire Warden may impose such conditions on the permit as considered necessary and may direct that the local Rural Fire Brigade take charge of the operation.
- The Fire Warden has the power to issue a permit, even if one or more neighbours object to the burning. In such cases, the Fire Warden must include on the permit, a condition that the neighbours must be given at least two hours prior notice by the permittee, that the fire is to be lit.
- A Fire Warden may cancel a permit at any time, but must do so in writing.
- The Area Director, Rural Operations has an over-riding authority to issue permits in situations where disputes exist.
- Failure to obtain or comply with conditions of a permit is an offence against the Fire and Rescue Act 1990. Penalties apply.
- Permits are available at no charge.
- The Area Director, Rural Operations may issue a permit where there is no appointed Fire Warden for the area where the fire is to be lit.
See notes for landholders in Community Saftey for clarification on terms of a neighbouring property.
Download a PDF version of the application for Permit to Light here.
