LANDHOLDERS will not be allowed to burn vegetation during the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
The Rural Fire Service will impose fire permit restrictions to prevent smoke and ash affecting Games venues and transport corridors, as well as tourist attractions and areas accommodating visitors.
Fires less than two metres in any direction, such as campfires, are still permitted under the restrictions.
The restrictions are for the Redland, Logan, Scenic Rim, Gympie, Noosa, Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay, Brisbane, Ipswich, Gold Coast, Lockyer Valley, Somerset, Toowoomba and Southern Downs local government areas.
They will be imposed from 12.01am on Monday, March 26 to 11.59pm on Friday, April 20.
Under the restrictions residents or landholders seeking to burn vegetation will not be granted permits and permits issued previously will be cancelled.
Rural Fire Service regional manager for the south-east region Wayne Waltisbuhl said the restriction was intended to avoid the affects of fire, such as smoke and ash, from impacting on participants and visitors to the Commonwealth Games.
“Fortunately people are not really able to burn at the moment because the conditions are not really conducive,” Mr Waltisbuhl said.
“If the conditions were worse we may have had a fire ban.”
Mr Waltisbuhl said campfires would be allowed.
“We don’t consider the campfire experience to be any threat to the Commonwealth Games.”
RFS Acting Assistant Commissioner Gary McCormack said the bushfire threat in the coming weeks was low due to recent rainfall.
“However, we will impose fire permit restrictions as a precautionary measure to further minimise the risk of a fire taking hold,” he said.
“A fire lit outdoors for the purpose of cooking or warmth is permitted, as long as it is enclosed in a fireplace constructed to stop the fire escaping.
“Campfires go hand-in-hand with camping and we know that many people like to escape to the bush or beach on a camping trip at this time of year.”
Mr McCormack said campfires should be started maintained and extinguished safely and correctly.
“Never leave a campfire unattended and always use water to extinguish it,” he said.
Other fires permitted within the restriction period are fires lit for the purpose of burning the carcass of a beast and fires lit at a sawmill for the purpose of burning sawdust or other residue resulting from the operation of a sawmill.