The fire ban
15 April – 15 September
The fire ban on the islands
The ban applies. Between 15 April and 15 September, open fire in or near uncultivated land is prohibited, and an island is uncultivated land. Prepared fire sites may still be used.
What the rule says
The Norwegian fire prevention regulation bans making fire «in or near forest and other uncultivated land» from 15 April to 15 September. Uncultivated land is a wide category: forest and heather, but also grass, bare hills, islets and beaches. On an island in the fjord, that covers nearly everything you stand on. The ban covers campfires, fire pans and disposable barbecues alike.
The duty of care is wider still, and it has no dates. Everyone is required to act so that fire does not start, all year, everywhere. The ban sets a season. The responsibility does not follow the calendar.
The exception the law actually gives you
Fire is legal in the ban period where it is obvious that it cannot start a fire. The examples the authorities give are thick snow and ground soaked by long rain. The judgement is yours, and so is the liability if you judge wrong. A dry July evening on an islet is not an edge case.
One island rule stands above the season: no fire on the rock slabs, ever. The heat cracks the rock, and the damage does not heal.
Where a fire is legal all year
Prepared fire sites approved by the municipality may be used the whole year. Among the islands covered here, Børøya outside Sandvika has public barbecue sites on its east and west sides, and Persteila in the Steilene group has a shared fire and barbecue site by the harbour. Where a site is marked out, use it and nothing else.
The municipality can say more
The islands in this fjord lie in 13 municipalities, and each of them can permit fires, open for them by local regulation, or tighten the rules. In dry spells that tightening is common: a total ban that also covers prepared sites. Before a trip in a dry period, check the municipality's own pages. The rules on landing, tents and the seabird reserves are covered in the right to roam on the islands.
Sources
- Forskrift om brannforebygging § 3 (Lovdata)
- DSB: Bålforbud fra 15. april
- Norsk Friluftsliv: Slik er bålreglene i Norge
Sources read 7 August 2026. Rules change; Lovdata and your municipality settle it.