Fire and Emergency New Zealand has declared a restricted fire season for the Porirua and Kāpiti Coast areas from 8am today, until further notice.

A restricted fire season means anyone who wants to light an outdoor fire must go to checkitsalright.nz and apply for a fire permit authorised by Fire and Emergency.

District Manager Brett Lockyer says Porirua and the Kāpiti Coast have become extremely dry since the beginning of the year.

"Although there has been a bit of rain in the last couple of days, we still have a lot of very dry vegetation on the west side of the district, which could easily catch fire," he says.

"With that in mind, we’re restricting how and when people can light fires in those areas.

"We will keep monitoring the conditions, but for now we suggest that people hold off on any planned burn activities, and check on their recent fire sites to make sure these are fully out."

Brett Lockyer says if people aren’t sure what the restrictions are in their area, they should go to www.checkitsalright.nz and enter their address.

"You will need a permit to light a fire, and you will need to comply with any conditions set out," he says.

"This is a very risky time of year for wildfires, so we’re asking everyone to help us keep Wellington District’s people, property and environment safe from fires this summer."

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