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Portable Stove Fire Danger Period Safety Guide

Military Shop Tactical Gear and Equipment: Expert Field Gear Guides | Military Shop Buying Guides & Product Advice
November 6th, 2026 9 minute read

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Step 1: Check whether a Total Fire Ban applies today, where you are
Step 2: Know what fuel your portable stove uses
Step 3: Check portable stove fire danger period rules for your state and fuel
Step 4: Check the land manager's fire restrictions as well
Step 5: Set up a permitted portable gas stove to the conditions
Step 6: Never cook inside a tent
Step 7: Look after gas canisters and connections
Plan your meals around portable stove fire danger period rules
FAQs
Sources

Whether you can use a portable stove on a Total Fire Ban day depends on three things: the state or territory you are in, the land you are on and the fuel your stove burns. Some official sources allow portable gas stoves under strict conditions on Total Fire Ban days, while others ban or generally prohibit visitor gas stoves in national parks on those days. Solid fuel stoves, including hexamine, are treated more strictly in the sources reviewed here. [1, 3, 12] This portable stove fire danger period guide explains how to check the rules before you cook and how to set up a stove safely when it is permitted.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change and bans can be declared at short notice, so always confirm with your state or territory fire service and the land manager for the place you are visiting.

Step 1: Check whether a Total Fire Ban applies today, where you are

Fire danger periods and Total Fire Bans are declared by state and territory authorities, and the terms differ. In NSW, NPWS explains that a Total Fire Ban (TOBAN) decision is generally made at around 5pm each afternoon during the bushfire danger period (October to March) and applies to the following day, from midnight for 24 hours. [1] In Victoria, CFA declares Fire Danger Periods and Total Fire Bans, and a Total Fire Ban can apply to the whole of Victoria or to defined districts. [3]

Check the night before and again on the morning you cook. In Queensland, the Queensland Fire Department says that any time you are going to light a fire, including camp or backyard fires, you must check if there is a fire ban. [5] On a multi day trip, carry a way to receive updates, or plan your meals around the strictest rule you might meet.

Step 2: Know what fuel your portable stove uses

Official fire restrictions often separate stoves by fuel, so identify yours first. The Bushwalking Manual groups stoves into gas canister, non-pressurised liquid fuel, pressurised liquid fuel, solid fuel and wood. [7]

Gas canister stoves: the Jetboil Flash 1.0L and Optimus Crux Lite Stove are gas canister systems. The Jetboil Jetpower Fuel 230g Canister listing describes a blend of propane and isobutane. [8, 9, 10]
Liquid fuel stoves: these burn fuels such as methylated spirits or shellite. [14]
Solid fuel stoves: the Hexamine Camp Stove listing describes a folding stove supplied with fuel tablets. [11]

Step 3: Check portable stove fire danger period rules for your state and fuel

Portable stove fire danger period rules vary across Australia, and total fire ban rules can differ again by land manager. These examples summarise what each official page says for the situation named, as at 26 October 2026. They are not a complete statement of the law.

State or territory	What the official source says
NSW national parks (NPWS)	During a TOBAN, all campfire, solid fuel (including hexamine) and liquid fuel barbecues and stoves are prohibited. Visitor owned gas and electric barbecues and cookers are generally prohibited; there may be exceptions if you contact the local park office in advance for permission. [1]
NSW (NSW RFS)	Portable gas and electric BBQs are banned in NSW State Forests, National Parks or Regional Parks on Total Fire Ban days. [2]
Victoria (CFA)	On Total Fire Ban days, solid and liquid fuel barbecues are banned. A gas or electric barbecue designed and commercially manufactured exclusively for meal preparation, including portable gas stoves, may be used only if conditions are met (see Step 5). [3]
Queensland (QFD)	Gas (butane or propane) and electric barbecues, including gas and spirit stoves, can be used during fire bans as long as they do not have the potential to make embers or ignite nearby ground fuels and vegetation, are not left unattended and are suitably contained. [6]
South Australia (DEW and CFS)	Open fires, liquid fuel and gas stoves are banned in all South Australian national parks on Total Fire Ban days. [12] Under CFS rules, a gas or electric cooking appliance can be used on those days only within 15 metres of a domestic or commercial premises or on a coastal foreshore, with conditions. [13]
Tasmania (Parks and Wildlife Service)	On Total Fire Ban days, all outdoor fires are prohibited in national parks and reserves in the affected area, including portable stoves. The only exceptions are electric stoves and electric barbecues, and LPG (butane or propane) cookers or stoves. Liquid fuel stoves are not allowed. [14]

If your state or territory is not listed, or you are unsure how a rule applies to your stove, contact your fire service before you go. In the ACT, for example, you cannot light, use or maintain an open fire on Total Fire Ban days, and gas barbecues in ACT Government parks and reserves are switched off. [15]

Step 4: Check the land manager's fire restrictions as well

A fire service rule is not the only one that may apply. NSW NPWS may declare its own park fire ban, during which all campfire and solid fuel barbecues and stoves, including hexamine, are prohibited and visitor owned gas and electric cookers are generally prohibited. [1] In South Australia, national park fire restriction dates are not the same as CFS fire danger season dates. [12] In Victoria, CFA notes that fire restrictions apply all year round in state forests, national parks and on protected public land, and refers readers to DEECA. [3]

Check park alerts, campground signs and any permit conditions before you leave, and follow the stricter rule when two apply.

Step 5: Set up a permitted portable gas stove to the conditions

Victoria's CFA guide, for example, says a portable gas stove used on a Total Fire Ban day must be placed in a stable position, with the area within 3 metres of it clear of flammable material, a hose connected to a water supply or a container with at least 10 litres of water ready, and an adult there at all times while it is alight who has the capacity and means to put out the fire. The fire must be completely out before the adult leaves. [3] On Total Fire Ban days, South Australia's CFS also requires at least 4 metres clear of flammable vegetation, a person able to control the fire present and an appropriate extinguisher at hand. [13]

Apply the portable stove fire danger period conditions for your location, not the ones you remember from another state. Wind matters too: CFA warns not to use barbecues in windy conditions, as burners may blow out and risk a gas leak. [4] For stability, the Bushwalking Manual notes that upright canister stoves are unstable when a large billy is used and that stoves with a fuel line are the most stable. [7]

Step 6: Never cook inside a tent

Energy Safe Victoria warns that outdoor LPG appliances present a danger of carbon monoxide poisoning where ventilation is insufficient. It advises never using a gas appliance inside a tent, caravan, campervan or canvas type annex, and keeping gas appliances well away from the outside of a tent or annex. [16] Rain or wind is not a reason to move the stove inside.

Step 7: Look after gas canisters and connections

Energy Safe Victoria advises checking hoses and connections before turning on the gas, testing for leaks with soapy water, closing the valve when the appliance is not in use, and disposing of disposable canisters at a waste centre rather than incinerating them. It also advises following the manufacturer's instructions. [16] The Bushwalking Manual notes that canisters are not designed to be refilled. [7]

Plan your meals around portable stove fire danger period rules

On days of high fire danger, the simplest safe option may be food that needs no cooking. If you do plan to cook, check your state or territory fire service, then the land manager, then your stove's fuel and instructions.

If you are choosing a portable gas stove, the gas cookers range is a starting point for comparing canister systems. Whatever you carry, the current official rule for the place you are standing decides whether it can be lit.

FAQs

Can I use a portable gas stove on a Total Fire Ban day?

It depends on your state or territory, the land you are on and the fuel your stove burns. In Victoria, CFA allows a portable gas stove on a Total Fire Ban day only if strict conditions are met. In NSW national parks, visitor owned gas cookers are generally prohibited during a TOBAN, and in South Australia, gas stoves are banned in all national parks on Total Fire Ban days. Always check with your fire service and the land manager first.

Can I use a hexamine stove during a Total Fire Ban?

Solid fuel stoves, including hexamine, are treated more strictly than gas stoves. NSW NPWS prohibits solid fuel stoves, including hexamine, during a TOBAN and during a park fire ban, and in Victoria, solid fuel barbecues are banned on Total Fire Ban days.

Are liquid fuel stoves allowed on Total Fire Ban days?

In most of the sources reviewed, no. Liquid fuel stoves are prohibited in NSW national parks during a TOBAN, liquid fuel barbecues are banned in Victoria, liquid fuel stoves are banned in South Australian national parks, and liquid fuel stoves are not allowed in Tasmanian national parks and reserves. In Queensland, gas and spirit stoves can be used during fire bans if they cannot make embers or ignite nearby vegetation, are not left unattended and are suitably contained.

When is a Total Fire Ban declared in NSW?

NPWS explains that a Total Fire Ban (TOBAN) decision is generally made at around 5pm each afternoon during the bushfire danger period (October to March). It applies to the following day, from midnight for 24 hours.

What conditions apply to using a portable gas stove on a Total Fire Ban day in Victoria?

CFA says the stove must be in a stable position, the area within 3 metres must be clear of flammable material, and you must have a hose connected to a water supply or a container with at least 10 litres of water ready. An adult who has the capacity and means to put out the fire must be there at all times while it is alight, and the fire must be completely out before the adult leaves.

Do national park rules differ from fire service rules?

Yes, they can. For example, NSW NPWS may declare its own park fire ban, and South Australian national park fire restriction dates are not the same as CFS fire danger season dates. Check park alerts, campground signs and permit conditions, and follow the stricter rule when two apply.

Can I use a gas stove inside my tent?

No. Energy Safe Victoria advises never using a gas appliance inside a tent, caravan, campervan or canvas type annex because of the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning, and recommends keeping gas appliances well away from the outside of a tent or annex.

How do I check a gas stove for leaks?

Energy Safe Victoria advises checking hoses and connections before turning on the gas and testing for leaks with soapy water. Close the valve when the appliance is not in use and follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Where should I check portable stove fire danger period rules before a trip?

Check your state or territory fire service first, then the land manager for the place you are visiting, including park alerts, campground signs and any permit conditions. Then check your stove's fuel and the manufacturer's instructions. Check the night before and again on the morning you cook, and follow the stricter rule when two apply.