A Guide to Campfire Safety and Controlling the Burn

Camping is the simple man's way of surviving the elements in a safe situation. Families and friends bond in love and friendships for a lifetime around a campfire at night. Roasting marshmallows, telling ghost stories and just being together is one of the greatest experiences a person can have when warmed by the glow of a fire. It takes every human back to the days when survival was as basic as just eating to stay alive.

The campfire is a place where a person can become lost in a dream of better days or just become lost and think of nothing. It is comfort and security on a dark night. It is light when all around you are shadows of creature real and imagined. It is life in a world without walls.

However, if you don't control you fire it can turn on you in an instant and change everything you cherish from treasure to tragedy. Fire can burn a forest and end lives in a matter of hours or even minutes so safety is a first rule in any campout. Everyone has to do their part to make sure you preserve nature and even the lives of your family and yourself.

Your fire will depend on three main rules. A safe place for the fire. A safe fire! Making sure the fire is completely out before you leave it unattended. These rules will keep you safe and you can enjoy your trip without fear. No one wants to be responsible for a forest fire.

Find a safe place for your fire. Clear the ground down to the dirt in a circle six feet across. In the center of your circle scoop out a pit four to six inches deep for your fire and one foot across. This will keep it contained to a small area and will protect it from the wind. Your fire will be built in the very center of the small pit. Make sure there are not low hanging limbs from a tree or nearby bush above your fire. If the season is very dry make sure there are no trees anywhere near or above the fire area.

During dry hot times in the summer you may not be allowed to make a campfire. Follow the rule! It only takes a spark floating through the air to set dry limbs to flames. So watch for the fire safety report in your area or check with your local ranger or fire department before you leave for current information.

Next you need to consider Tender, Kindling and Fuel. This is your material to start and feed your fire. Never make the fire bigger than you need. It is for cooking or sitting close to for warmth. Be careful not to set yourself or your clothing on fire from getting too close. Never cross over a fire. Always walk around it with enough distance to prevent a spark from going up your pant leg or it's going to get real hot, real quick!

Tender is a material that will catch the flame easily when a match is put to it. For this you can use very dry pine needles or grass. You can also use lint left over from your dyer at home. Be sure to keep it dry by placing it in an air tight baggie. Place a pile about two inches high in the center of the pit.

Kindling is your next material for your fire and will take it's flame when finally hot enough from the tender. Use small dry twigs or thumb thick dry branches. Stand the kindling on end like a pyramid over the tender. Leave a small opening for the match to reach the tender. It will look like a little teepee.

Fuel is the main source for your fire and for it to continue burning while in use. For this you use thicker branches or small to medium size logs. It will all depend on the part of the country you are in when you go camping. Do not build the fire to large, but if it is to burn for hours on a colder night while you attend to it you can use logs of various sizes for the main fuel.

Light your match or use a small lighter to ignite your tender from a small opening. Do not ever hold your face of the flame. If the fire were to catch suddenly and larger than you expected you could burn off your eyebrows and singe your hair. Burning hair smells really bad and it is dangerous to set your head on fire!

Cup your hand around the flame if the wind is blowing to protect it from being blown out.

Once the tender is lit, continue to add small amount of tender until the kindling catches fire. When the kindling is burning keep adding bit of tender and kindling to keep it going until the branches catch the flame. As your fire burns slowly feed it more kindling and fuel to keep it going. Do not add so much that you have a roaring fire, because this is when a fire or spark can get out of control. You just want your fire large enough for your own needs.

When you are ready to put the fire out for the night or for the trip you will use water to make sure it is completely out. You will never leave your campground until you are SURE the fire is dead. Pour small amounts of water on it to start the cool down process and stir the coals afterwards. Continue this process until even the coals are out and wet. Then cover with clean dirt and pour the rest of the water on top.

Do not splash a bucket of water onto the full fire. This will spread any hot coals outside the pit and could do more damage than good. Working with fire is dangerous if not done correctly. But fire is essential to man and survival of the elements so you want to be sure you keep it as a friend and not let fire become the enemy in your quest for Wildman of the mountains! Now you are ready to enjoy your summer and some great stories to take back to friends and family without serious injury to yourself or your pride.