Can I Have a Campfire Tonight?
Published 2026-07-16 · Sources reviewed 2026-07-16
The four checks
- Is a fire ban declared today? A Total Fire Ban (or local fire ban) prohibits campfires outright — including in fire rings and built fireplaces. Bans are declared per district or local government area by your state fire authority, often the afternoon before. What a ban covers in each state.
- Is it a fire danger period / permit season? Outside of ban days, every state has a declared season ("Fire Danger Period", "Bush Fire Danger Period", "Restricted Burning Times" — the name varies) during which open fires may require a permit, registration or specific conditions even when no ban applies.
- What does the land manager say? National parks, state forests and reserves set their own campfire rules — fires only in provided fireplaces, only with dead-and-fallen wood, seasonal solid-fuel bans, or no fires at all. These are set by the parks service, not the fire authority, and change with conditions.
- What does the operator say? On private campgrounds, caravan parks and stations, the operator's rules apply on top of everything else — many prohibit fires year-round or outside designated pits.
The most restrictive answer wins. Yes to a campfire means all four said yes.
Why “no fire ban” is not permission
“No Total Fire Ban today” only clears check #1. People are fined every year for campfires on ban-free days because a fire danger period required a permit, a park had a solid-fuel ban, or the campground prohibited fires. An escaped campfire can also mean liability for firefighting costs regardless of what was declared. That is why Fireban's own status pages always say a clear day “does not automatically mean a fire is allowed”.
How to check your spot in one minute
- Open fireban.com.au and search your campsite, park or town (or use “my location”).
- Read the answer card: today's fire danger rating, whether a ban applies, and the campfire rule resolved for that spot — including park/tenure rules where the site is inside a national park or state forest.
- On a campsite page, check the campfire rule card and its source — verified operator rules are marked, and anything unverified says to confirm signage.
- Confirm on arrival: signage at the gate and ranger or operator directions override everything, including Fireban.
Tonight vs tomorrow
Bans are declared for a calendar day, commonly from midnight to midnight, and tomorrow's declarations are typically made the afternoon or evening before once forecasts firm up. If you're camping overnight, check both today and tomorrow on your state's live page (each shows a three-day outlook) — a fire that was legal at 9pm can become illegal at 12:01am, and it must be fully out before the ban starts.
Common questions
- Does a fire ring or built fireplace make it legal?
- Not during a ban — Total Fire Bans cover built fireplaces too. Outside of bans, a provided fireplace is often a park's condition for allowing fires, not a blanket permission.
- Can I collect firewood at the campsite?
- In most national parks, collecting firewood (even dead wood) is prohibited or restricted — bring your own or use what the operator provides, and check the park's own page.
- What about a gas stove instead?
- Gas cookers are treated differently from solid-fuel fires and are commonly allowed when campfires aren't — but not during Total Fire Bans in every state. See the BBQ & gas guide.