The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service – North Coast Region is situated at 98 Lennox Street, Maryborough 4650 and may be contacted as follows:

Community Safety	Phone: 4190 4846	Fax: 4190 4854
Rural Operations	Phone: 4190 4839	Fax: 4190 4853
Urban Operations	Phone: 4190 4834	Fax: 4190 4857

The burning of any material in urban areas is discouraged due to smoke nuisances created by burning. Residents are encouraged to dispose of materials at a Council Waste Management Facility. See Refuse and Recycling article for lcoations.


Many people in the community are volunteer rural fire brigade members. For more information about rural fire brigades or becoming a member visit www.ruralfire.qld.gov.au.

Permits are required for any open burning. Contact the relevant Fire Warden in your area to obtain a Fire Permit.

PRW006 Fire Fighting (PDF 20KB)
PRW011 Roadside Burning (PDF 20KB)

During cooler weather, residents may consider the use of wood fire heaters. Wood fire heaters are a great way to stay warm in winter. To get the most out of your heater – and keep any smoke nuisance to a minimum, follow the hints below to ensure that you get your fire going quickly and efficiently.

Starting the Fire
First of all ensure that all inlets are fully open. When starting a fire, you can expect a small amount of smoke for the first 10-15 minutes. Use kindling wood, paper and firelighters to help create some hot coals (firelighters will get the wood burning quickly and help the kindling form hot coals). Once a hot bed of coals has developed, add slightly larger pieces of wood, eventually stepping up to three or four logs, each approximately 40cm long.

Maintaining the Fire
Once ablaze, the air controls can be closed to slow down the combustion and keep the wood burning at an efficient rate. If the coals and flames are not glowing brightly, or the wood is smouldering and there is a lot of smoke, then the air controls have been closed too far. Whenever you add more wood to the fire, always leave the air controls open until the new wood is burning at a steady rate.

Overnight Burning
About 30 minutes before going to bed, place wood to make up the equivalent of three or four logs. With all the air controls open, allow all the logs to achieve a charred appearance. The air controls can then be closed to the minimum, thereby slowing down the combustion rate. Never shut the air off completely or this will increase the amount of smoke produced by the fire. Judging just how far you should close the air controls will be determined by trial and error.

If your house is insulated this will reduce the amount of heat you will need to produce in winter. It may even retain sufficient heat so overnight burning is not required.

Other Points to Consider

• Close your curtains to prevent heat loss through glass.
  
• Go outside and check your chimney to see how much smoke is being produced. The more air the fire gets, the less smoke is produced.
  
• Dry, aged wood is the most efficient wood to burn. Buy your wood during spring and summer.
  
• Stack your wood in a dry place and allow plenty of air flow so it does not attract vermin.
  
• If your fireplace does not have a grate, always leave about 10mm of ash in the bottom, even when you give it a clean.
  
• Never place rubbish or chemicals in a fireplace.
  
• Advice on efficient wood burning heaters can be obtained from reputable retailers.