Sitting by a crackling wood fire is a great way to keep warm and enjoy the outdoors during winter, but get ready for a fine if your backyard blaze is smoking out your neighbours.

Brisbane resident Kristy Moore told ABC Radio Brisbane she was approached by the council twice over the weekend after lighting up her family's fire pit.

"We were just outside enjoying our fire pit with a bottle of red wine, the kids were playing basketball, and we had the city council [officer] ring our doorbell," she said.

"He explained the legislation, saying a fire pit could be used for warmth and cooking but it can't cause nuisance smoke.

"We were quite shocked at that because our fire didn't seem to be emitting that much smoke."

Ms Moore said she was directed to use "eco-logs" instead of timber firewood to reduce the smoke but received a phone call a short time later demanding she put the fire out or face an on-the-spot fine.

"They said they'd received a second complaint from the same people and that they had to shut all of their windows and doors [because] it was making too much smoke," she said.

"We didn't even think for a second that it would be a problem, or one of the neighbours would have a problem if we did have a fire pit."

Ms Moore shared her story on social media and asked what other people thought about the situation.

Some people said she would have been in the clear if she was using the fire to cook.

"As long as it is culinary it's ok. Cook a marshmallow — problem solved." — Sarah Gabriel

"Put a grill on top and no-one can say squat, I enquired when my son had a party as he wanted a fire pit going." — Robyn Hardiker

"Wrap a potato in foil and throw it in, it becomes a BBQ and they have no grounds to complain." — Linda Gunnis

Others weighed in to support the neighbour who made the complaints.

"Fire pits like all other wood fires are a major source of pollution which is an issue in cities in general. Furthermore they can present serious health impacts on people who suffer from various respiratory diseases. What for you may well be a lovely atmospheric amusement can mean a life-threatening event for someone else." — Pat Pendrey

"Can be pretty annoying on a windy day and the smoke gets blown into your house." — Carmelina Quinton

You're allowed to start a backyard fire to cook food or provide warmth. ( Flikr: Bjorn )

So what are the rules?

The regulations differ depending which council area you live in, but the basic principles are the same.

Most authorities permit you to light backyard fires if they're small, contained to a fire pit or barbecue and don't produce too much smoke.

If you live within Brisbane City Council boundaries, you can only light a backyard fire if it is lit to cook food on or to provide heat, as long as little to no open flames and smoke are produced.

There's slightly different rules if you live on a rural-zoned property.

Ipswich residents can light an open-air fire to cook food on a gas, wood or coal-fired barbecue or hangi (a method of cooking food in an earthen pit filled with coals).

If you live in the Moreton Bay Council area, the type of fire you can light depends on the size of your block.

If your allotment is 3,000 square metres or less, you can light fires inside properly prepared barbecues or similar cooking equipment, given you're using clean, dry combustible material.

Logan residents must live on a block greater than 4,000 square metres to light a fire for anything other than cooking or creating warmth using an enclosed fireplace.

Burning garden waste or starting a fire greater than 2 metres in any direction is prohibited everywhere unless you've approached the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) for a permit.

Neighbours can complain about smoke or fumes produced by fires. ( Flickr: Ilyse Whitney )

Rural Fire Service superintendent Wayne Waltisbuhl said it was up to local government to deal with smoke complaints, but the QFES would get involved if fires were out of control or a if triple-0 call was made.

He said piles of green waste and rubbish should be taken to council waste facilities instead of being burnt in backyards.

"If you're cooking on a small fire or sitting around it for heat or warmth, which most of us do in the winter months, then that's fine. That's all legal under the QFES Act," he said.

Mr Waltisbuhl recommended keeping backyard fires small, burning dry wood or using heat beads and dousing fires with water to put them out completely before leaving them unattended.

"The wind could pick up, throw sparks and ashes onto your own house and all of a sudden your house is burning down," he said.

"Keep it away from houses, fences and sheds as far as you can, and if it's windy and it's going to start pushing embers around, don't light your fire."

When can you complain?

Local councils will investigate complaints about fires when smoke or fumes are having an effect on human health or the environment.

The amount of smoke created, how long it lasted, and the sensitivity of surroundings are considered when a member of the public makes a complaint.

Most council websites recommend speaking with your neighbours about smoke and fumes before reporting the problem.

If you're the one lighting a fire, councils recommend notifying your neighbours ahead of time and minimising emissions by avoiding putting wet paper, sanitary items, and other rubbish on the fire.