Fire and Emergency New Zealand is moving Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland into a restricted fire season from 6am on Thursday 16 January until further notice.

A restricted fire season means anyone who wants to light an outdoor fire will need a fire permit authorised by Fire and Emergency, which they can apply for at checkitsalright.nz.

Te Hiku Region Manager Ron Devlin says outdoor fires will be restricted in the Waitematā, Auckland City and Counties Manukau districts due to the high fire risk throughout Auckland at present.

"While there is some rain forecast next week, this isn’t going to be enough to counter the effects of the recent warm, dry weather," he says.

"We continually monitor the weather conditions throughout the region, and keep an eye on how quickly vegetation is drying out.

"Right now, we consider flammable vegetation such as mānuka, kānuka and grass, and forestry areas as being particularly high risk, as these burn easily, spread fast, and can be really difficult to contain."

The Hauraki Gulf Islands remain in a prohibited fire season, which means all outdoor fires are banned on the islands.

"If you’re thinking about starting a fire, you must go to www.checkitsalright.nz first to find out if you can, and what restrictions apply," Ron Devlin says.

"There’s also excellent safety advice, which I strongly urge people to follow, to help us keep Tāmaki Makaurau fire-free this summer."

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