Restrictions on campfires, pot fires and other solid fuel stoves will come in to place from 02:00 Saturday 21 October 2023 at identified Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) campgrounds around the State. Please see map for detailed information.

After three years of La- Nina a El Nino event has been declared by the Bureau of Meteorology. The combination of a positive Indian Ocean Dipole and an El Nino event indicate we are likely to experience below average spring rainfall and above average minimum and maximum temperatures. Tasmania has experienced a very warm winter and conditions are much drier than usual, particularly in the southeast of the state. Climate drivers suggest this drying pattern is set to continue for the remainder of this year, with a high chance of unusually warm and dry conditions and a high chance of unusually high fire dangers for this period and into summer.

To date the 2023 rainfall totals have been below average for much of the southeast corner of Tasmania. With the lowest winter rainfall on record across parts of the Tasman Peninsula. There is significant deep layer soil dryness on the west coast of the state and across the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (TWWHA) due to years of rainfall deficiency. Fine fuel load is significant on the east coast due to successive wet seasons allowing for significant vegetation growth; curing grass is likely to present a grass fuel hazard over the next few months. In these conditions, campfires can easily escape, spread rapidly are difficult to control and threaten people in campgrounds and nearby communities.

The seasonal campfire restrictions apply to all national parks and reserves in the following areas:

• On King, Flinders and Maria Islands; and
• In the Dorset, Break O’Day, Glamorgan/Spring Bay, Sorell, Tasman, Kingborough and Huon Municipalities

As well as:

• Narawntapu National Park,
• Snaky Creek and Tooms Lake Conservation Areas. (refer to map attached).

Further areas may be added if the fire risk in those areas escalates during early summer, please visit the Parks and Wildlife website for the latest information - Campfires and Fire Restrictions 

Gas stoves and gas barbecues will be permitted. Restrictions have also been imposed on the use of pot fires as sparks, embers and disposal of ash from pot fires can also provide an ignition source.

For the latest information about fire restrictions please visit the Tas Fire Website - Tasmania Fire Service