Camping and campfires go hand in hand. It is difficult to imagine going camping without creating a fire to roast marshmallows over and to tell ghost stories around. Without proper safety etiquette, your campfire could turn your camping trip into a disaster.
Choosing a Safe Location For Your Campfire
Most commercial campgrounds curently have preexisting fire rings to utilize. Unless the fire ring is in a dangerous spot, you need to build your fire there. The campground owners have likely already deemed this as a safe location to build a fire. The fire ring can help contain sparks preventing your fire from spreading.
If your campsite does not have a fire ring, you will need to create one. First find a spot that meets these criteria:
- downwind at the very least 5 feet from your tent and firewood
- away from trees, bushes, logs, stumps and overhanging branches
- away from dry grass and forest debris
- away from any flammable items
If your campsite has a fire ring already, check if it meets the aforementioned criteria too. The landscape around your campsite could have changed because the fire ring was built. There might now be a branch that overhangs the existing fire ring.
Preparing Your Campfire Area
Once you have chosen where you can build your campfire, you have to ensure that the area is completely free from anything that could ignite. It is advisable to clear the ground because of the soil within about 5 feet of your fire pit. Surrounding twigs and dry leaves could easily catch fire from the wayward spark.
Next dig a shallow pit about 2 feet across and encircle this pit with a ring of medium sized rocks. These rocks ought to be placed snuggly together without any gaps where sparks could fly through. Remove any small, loose stones from the pit which could potentially explode from the fire's heat.
Before you begin building your campfire, ensure you have equipment readily available to extinguish your fire. You will need a large bucket of water and a shovel. Keep these things close enough to your fire pit they are quickly accessible in an emergency. If the bottom around your campsite is too much to shovel, also keep a bucket of sand or dirt nearby.
Safely Igniting Your Campfire
Stay away from lighter fluid or other chemicals to start out your fire. These fuels are dangerous to use in the wilderness. They are able to unexpectedly flare up and catch your clothing burning. Instead just work with a lighter or match to ignite your kindling. Do not discard any used matches until they're cool to touch.
It really is tempting to build a big bonfire rather than a reasonably sized campfire. Resist the temptation and put safety first. A large fire will emit more potentially hazardous sparks. These sparks from the large fire have the capability to drifting further away than sparks from the small fire. And yes it can be a lot more difficult to extinguish a big fire.
Maintaining a Safe Campfire
While your campfire is burning, never leave it unattended! Despite other safety precautions, your campfire could spread from your own fire pit. You need to be around to ensure your campfire doesn't spread.
Be careful of what you burn in your campfire. Try to stick to Family-friendly camping trips of firewood that easily fit inside your fire pit. It isn't a good idea to burn large logs that stand out past your fire bowl. Also avoid burning fresh branches that give off excess sparks.
Properly Extinguishing Your Campfire
Prior to going to sleep or when you leave the campsite, you need to fully extinguish your campfire. First, douse the flames by pouring water on the fire. You are not done yet though. Because you can't see flames, it does not mean the fire cannot reignite itself. There are usually still hot embers that will continue smoldering all night. To deal with the embers, stir the coals and add more water. Then cover the coals with dirt or sand.
Conclusion
It is far too easy for a campfire to spread learning to be a forest fire. When you are camping, it really is your responsibility to safeguard the forest from your campfire. Follow these simple campfire safety rules and use your good sense. Sometimes it simply isn't safe to get a campfire at all. If the forest is too dry and forest fire danger is high, there's ordinarily a ban on campfires. Respect these bans as they are for your own safety. Strong winds make for dangerous campfire conditions too. So use your personal judgment if necessary. Do everything you can to safeguard our forests.