Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s Wellington District will move from a restricted fire season to an open fire season from 8am Wednesday 17 April, until further notice.

This change applies to the Wellington, Hutt Valley, Porirua, and Kāpiti Coast zones. The Wairarapa remains in a prohibited fire season.

An open fire season means people can light outdoor fires without a permit approved by Fire and Emergency.

Announcing the change, Community Risk Manager Phil Soal says the cooler temperatures with increasing dew in the mornings has reduced the fire risk.

"We are also starting to experience cooler southerlies instead of the dry northerly winds we saw over summer, and we’ve had more rain across the District," he says.

While the fire risk will continue to decrease as conditions continue to cool, Phil Soal is reminding the public they are still responsible to ensure any outdoor fire they light is well controlled and safe.

"If you need any advice about this, please head to checkitsalright.nz as this website has lots of useful information about outdoor fire use and safety."

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