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Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act 2017

Emergencies, fire control, industry brigades, water supply, and evacuation schemes - Operational functions, duties, and powers - Further provisions relating to fire control

60: Causing or allowing fire to get out of control and to spread

You could also call this:

"Don't let fires get out of control and spread to other people's property"

Illustration for Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act 2017

You must not let a fire get out of control and spread to plants or other people's property. If you start a fire or it gets out of control, you need to tell Fire and Emergency New Zealand as soon as you can. You will be in trouble if you break this rule on purpose or by being careless. You can get in trouble if you do not follow this rule. If you are an individual, you could go to prison for up to 2 years or get a fine of up to $300,000, or both. If you are not an individual, you could get a fine of up to $600,000. If you tell Fire and Emergency New Zealand about the fire as soon as you can, you will not be in trouble. This is because you are taking responsibility for the fire and trying to stop it from spreading. You have to try to stop the fire from getting out of control and spreading to other things.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM7072952.

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Part 2Emergencies, fire control, industry brigades, water supply, and evacuation schemes
Operational functions, duties, and powers: Further provisions relating to fire control

60Causing or allowing fire to get out of control and to spread

  1. A person must not cause or allow a fire to get out of control and to spread to vegetation or property.

  2. Subsection (1) does not apply to a person who, as soon as practicable after discovering the fire, notifies FENZ.

  3. A person commits an offence if the person knowingly or recklessly contravenes subsection (1).

  4. A person who commits an offence under this section is liable on conviction,—

  5. in the case of an individual, to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 2 years or a fine not exceeding $300,000, or both; or
    1. in any other case, to a fine not exceeding $600,000.