You generally cannot use a solid-fuel BBQ (charcoal, wood, pellets, heat beads) during a Total Fire Ban , but gas or electric BBQs are often allowed under strict conditions and only if local rules say so.

Key point: it depends where you live

Fire ban rules are set locally (state, territory, province, or council), so what is allowed in New South Wales may differ from Victoria, Western Australia, or parts of Canada or the US.

Always check your local fire authority’s website or app on the day, because bans and conditions can change at short notice.

Common rules during a Total Fire Ban

Most Australian-style “Total Fire Ban” frameworks follow a similar pattern.

  • Not allowed (almost everywhere):
    • Charcoal or wood BBQs (kettle BBQs, smokers, hibachis, fire pits, wood-fired pizza ovens) outside.
  • Sometimes allowed under strict conditions:
    • Gas BBQs (LPG/natural gas) and electric BBQs, usually only if:
  * A responsible adult is in direct control the whole time.

  * There is a cleared safety zone (often 2–3 metres) with no combustible material.

  * You have an immediate water supply or extinguisher on hand.

  * The BBQ is in a permitted location (e.g., at a permanent dwelling or an approved picnic area).

Using a BBQ outside those conditions can lead to heavy fines or prosecution if it causes a fire.

How forums and grillers talk about it

Online grilling communities often note that bans now commonly include charcoal and wood-fired setups, even if “camp stoves” or propane grills remain allowed.

Many experienced grillers say they switch to indoor cooking or electric/gas setups during bans, both out of respect for neighbours and because a single ember in hot, dry weather can start a wildfire.

“Fools disregard fire restrictions” is a sentiment that appears often in these discussions, reflecting how seriously regular grillers take the rules.

What you should do in practice

  1. Check today’s status
    • Go to your state or local fire authority page (e.g., NSW RFS, CFA Victoria, DFES WA) and confirm if a Total Fire Ban is in place and what the BBQ rules are.
  1. Identify your BBQ type
    • Solid fuel (charcoal, wood, pellets, heat beads, wood-fired pizza oven) → treat it as not allowed outside during a Total Fire Ban unless your local authority explicitly says otherwise.
 * Gas or electric → usually _may_ be allowed but only if you meet the safety conditions listed by your local authority.
  1. If in doubt, don’t light it
    • When rules are unclear, the safest option is to cook indoors or postpone the BBQ until the ban is lifted to avoid risk to property and life.

TL;DR:

  • Solid-fuel BBQ outside on a Total Fire Ban day: usually no.
  • Gas/electric BBQ: sometimes yes , but only under strict safety and location rules set by your local fire authority.
  • Always confirm with your local fire service on the day before you fire up anything.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.