18/12/2024
Cultural cooking fires safety tips
Planning for a feast? Keep your fire and your earth oven under control without putting people, property or nature at risk.
Planning your cultural cooking fire
• Always check the local fire danger level before you light: You need to be extremely careful if the fire danger level is Very High or Extreme. Consider postponing your fire.
• Check your local council rules and bylaws: There may be additional rules about cultural cooking fires. For example, they’re not allowed on public conservation land.
Looking after your fire
• Keep a method to extinguish within 5 metres: You must have a suitable way to extinguish your cultural cooking fire in easy reach (such as water or a hose) maximum 5 metres away.
• Start your fire with paper, wood, or a fire starter: Starting your fire with petrol or kerosene can be dangerous.
• Never leave it unattended: Make sure at least one person is constantly monitoring your cooking fire.
Putting out your fire
• Ensure the fire is completely out: Once the fire has done its job for cooking purposes, you must extinguish the fire completely. Pour water on the ashes, embers, and burnt wood.
Need a permit?
You don’t need a fire permit for a cultural cooking fire if you meet the following safety requirements:
• Your hāngī, umu or lovo must be less than 4 square metres in size.
• Your fire is not lit within 5 metres of a building, hedge or anything else that could catch fire.
• You must not leave the fire unsupervised while burning.
• The fire must be extinguished once the stones or other material reaches the appropriate cooking temperature before you start cooking.
Use our tool to check it’s a good day to burn
Check it's alright
Stay safe and reduce the risk of fire over summer. Find out what you need to do before you light a fire outdoors and whether you need a fire permit.
