Brisbane City Council cracks down on fire pit use

Fire pits have been a popular addition to many homes during lockdown. But after getting a knock on the door this week, this Brisbane mum has a warning for anyone who owns one.

Many people have no clue backyard fire pits are illegal. Photo: Dean Martin

AN Oxley mum has told how she and her family were forced to extinguish their fire pit at the weekend after a Brisbane City Council officer knocked on their door.

Kirsty George said her family had lived in the area for 12 years, and were unaware they were doing anything wrong.

“We have a very small fire pit on the rocks out the back. We have fire pits occasionally and have marshmallows. It’s a bit of a distraction for the kids, and we did it over the Easter weekend. We set the tent up and camped in the backyard,” she said.

“We’ve never heard any complaints until Sunday night when we lit a fire. It was probably on for about 90 minutes and then we heard knocking at the front door.”

“There was a lovely gentleman who’d been called out specifically to our house, and he said it was illegal to have a fire pit in your backyard. They’d had a complaint about it creating excessive smoke, and he gave us a copy of a notification from BCC.”

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Ms George posted about the incident on Facebook, and said many others didn’t know about the rule either.

“The guy was really lovely. He said we needed to go and put it out, so he waited while we used the hose to put it out,” she said.

“I didn’t think we were doing anything wrong, and it’s obviously not something that’s widely known. I can understand from an asthmatic’s point of view, but just knock on my front door and have a chat to me.”

Kirsty George's family toasting marshmallows around their fire pit.

The council officer’s visit ended with a warning, but Ms George just wanted others to be aware.

“If that’s the rule, then people need to know about it. If you walk around the streets at the moment, every couple of houses has one,” she said.

“And especially with lockdown at the moment, everyone’s trying to create something special and fun for their kids or themselves. There’s only so much you can stare at your four walls.”

A Brisbane City Council spokesman said Council’s Health, Safety and Amenity Local Law 2009 states that a person must not light a fire in any area of the city, other than a rural area, unless exempt.

“These laws have been in place since 2009 and have not been impacted by coronavirus,” he said.

“Council is urging residents to be mindful of the rules around lighting open air fires as they can pose a serious safety risk.”

Council can also issue an on-the-spot fine of $266 for lighting or maintaining a fire in the open air or in an incinerator in any area of the city other than a rural area.

People are prohibited from lighting and maintaining fires in the open air or in an incinerator for any purpose other than:

* where the fire is used to cook food for human consumption in a barbecue or similar structure (but not a fire on the ground or in a brazier)

* for approved theatrical performances or similar approved entertainment events

where the subject land is included in the Rural area classification (under the Brisbane City Plan 2014) and neither the height, width or length of the material to be consumed exceeds two metres

* where a permit has been issued by the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services

* where the fire is required to be lit by notice under section 69 of the Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990