Fire permits in the Western Bay of Plenty have been put on hold until unexpected high winds blow through.

Strong south-westerlies over the last few days have forced Pumicelands Rural Fire Authority Moana Zone Manager, Alan Pearce, to stop issuing permits.

Western Bay fire permits have been temporarily suspended due to high winds. Photo: File.

'Wind is a major concern when it comes open air fires,” says Alan.

'Things can get out of control very quickly.

'Currently, wind conditions are much worse than they normally are at this time of year, and that's paired with some dry weather.

'That's why we're being precautious and not issuing any more fire permits until things have calmed down.”

Alan insists this does not amount to a 'total fire ban”, but anyone with a current fire permit needs to check the conditions of their permit before lighting any fires.

'Residents with permits should be aware they will likely contain conditions such as only burning in very light winds,” says Alan.

Conditions will be monitored and reviewed on a daily basis.

The hold on fire permits comes less than a month after the start of the restricted rural fire season on October 1. The season lasts until April 30, 2016.