THE first local fire ban for the season was announced this week by the Queensland Fire Department.

The ban on lighting fires came into force on Thursday (October 2) and is expected to remain in place through to midnight on Tuesday (October 7).

The local fire ban covers the local government areas of Ipswich, Scenic Rim, Lockyer Valley, Logan, Somerset, Brisbane, Noosa, Moreton Bay, Redland, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast.

The ban has been prompted by a rise in daytime temperatures, dry conditions and heavy fuel loads in paddocks following good seasonal conditions last Summer and into Autumn.

All open fires are prohibited and all fire permits are cancelled.

Power tools can be used as long as adequate equipment is available to extinguish any fire that may occur.