Wellington Regional Council has imposed a total ban on outdoor fires, effective from 8am on Friday.
It says conditions have been elevated to extreme risk due to weeks of hot weather and little rainfall.
The only exemption is gas barbecues.
All fire permits perviously issued are now suspended and the ban will remain in place until there is decent rainfall and the fire danger passes.
Wellington water levels are low. Water is normally held in the lakes at Te Marua to supplement low river flows, but only one of the storage lakes is available as the other is being earthquake-strengthened.
The council is asking people to try to use less water.
