Lifting of the ban on outdoor fires in urban areas

Christchurch City Council announced yesterday that it is temporarily lifting its ban on fires in outdoor urban areas.

The lifting of the ban, which is effective from today, is specifically for fires in the open air and does not apply to open fires within a building.

When burning in the open air in urban areas during this period, residents must consider the following (as per Christchurch City Urban Fire Safety Bylaw 2007):

CONDITIONS ON FIRES IN THE OPEN AIR

Unless a prohibition under clause 11 is in force a person may light a fire in the open air only if all of the following conditions are met:

• the fire must not, by reason of its location, risk of spread, or prevailing circumstances of wind or otherwise, constitute or be likely to constitute a danger to any person or property;
• the fire must not be within five metres of any part of a building, tree, hedge, fence or any other combustible material;
• the fire may not be lit before sunrise and must be completely extinguished by sunset;
• there is immediately available a water supply connected to a hose;
• the fire is adequately supervised at all times until it is completely extinguished.

 

The ban will be lifted from Thursday 5 April and will extend until Monday 30 April 2012.

The ban is lifted in Christchurch City and its urban ‘fire districts’ including: Christchurch City, Brooklands, New Brighton, Sumner, Lyttelton, Governors Bay, Diamond Harbour, Little River and Akaroa.

The lifting of the ban will end on Monday 30 April prior to the start of the Environment Canterbury (ECan) Clean Air Winter Period fire ban. This ECan ban prohibits the lighting of open fires by anybody in the Clean Air Zone and applies from 1 May to 31 August 2012.

Environment Canterbury has a year round ban on outdoor burning in any areas zoned residential or similar (living) throughout the Canterbury Region. Permission to burn in these areas requires a resource consent from Environment Canterbury.  Visit www.ecan.govt.nz for further information.

For further information please refer to the Christchurch City Urban Fire Safety Bylaw 2007 or visit www.ccc.govt.nz