Camp Skills: Campfires – Page 3

We all enjoy the calm relaxing sound and warmth of a campfire. But knowing when it is okay to leave the fire, whether it be for bed, or the area completely can be somewhat blurry. It is important you know when you are safe to do so. Of course you do not want to be the one who accidentally lit the forest on fire! And given the fact that you are here reading this I'm assuming you want to ensure you do not do anything of the sort! For that I want to personally thank you for doing your part! Now, let's get on to it. When it comes to fire safety, high up on the list of importance is: completely extinguishing the fire before you go. This basically means put the fire out completely. Now, this is definitely to broad, as many could take this as, "there were no more flames, so I seen it okay to leave"... But this is not what I mean. You see, even if you douse the flames with a conservative amount of water and the flames disappear. This does not mean the fire is out completely. There has been a few times in my past when I, a friend, or a family member had put out the campfire (with the assumption that we had gotten it good enough). But later before heading to the tent I or another member of the group noticed there were still hot embers sitting under a few of the larger logs that were still glowing. All those embers needed was a little bit of wind and the fire would have been back up and going... At that point it would be an unsupervised fire, which could lead to major damage, and massive danger to those in the area... Knowing when to leave a campfire is not only vital to the safety of those in the area, but also vital to the safety of the wildlife and vegetation in the area. Anyway, now that you know the importance of the situation. Let's discuss when it is safe to leave a campfire: When Is It Safe To Leave A Campfire? It is safe to leave your campfire only after you have ensured the following. When the embers / debris in the fire pit have cooled to the point you could theoretically be able to safely touch them, then you have the okay to leave. But DO NOT Touch The Embers Literally. Rather, if you feel cognitively you could touch the embers without the risk of burns then you are good to leave. (Do NOT Actually Touch Them) Again, Do Not Literally Touch The Debris in the fire pit. Simply analyze the fire pit after you have finished putting it out to the best of your ability, and decide from there whether or not you think theoretically you would be able to touch the debris in the fire pit without any risk of being burned. If you come to the assumption you think it is still too hot to touch then continue dousing it. However, given the different methods available to extinguish a fire. It may take more time to get the fire pit cooled to the point you can safely leave it. For example, dowsing the fire with a lot of water is going to cool the pit at a much quicker rate then that of throwing dirt on the fire. Because of this, If you are on a time crunch you need to allow for enough time near the end to thoroughly put out, and cool the pit. Why The Debris In The Fire Pit Needs To Be Cooled Thoroughly Before Departure Over the years I have made many campfires. Heck, my cousins and I used to have challenges around who can build a fire with a single match, 1 flint & Steel strike, friction and so forth. And over that time I have found that the moment you have an ember / spark all you need to do is blow on it and it will light up. Well, when the wind picks up it is essentially as if it is blowing on that hot ember / spark. So basically, if you leave a campfire that has not been thoroughly put out (Cooled to the point you would be safe to theoretically touch it) All that needs to occur is a small gust of wind, and that fire could very likely be back up and burning moments later. To which, at that it becomes an unsupervised fire that has the potential of causing a massive forest fire... Not Worth The Risk... Even if the weather is nice at the moment you decide to leave. Ensure the fire is out completely. Because you never know how the weather could change just moments after you leave. Also, embers, when not extinguished properly can stay hot for many hours after. Essentially meaning that if you don't put your fire out completely (Embers and all) even hours later it could start back up. I have personally witnessed this, and was unexpectedly amazed as to how it was possible. The story is: Long ago my dad and I were in the back yard burning weeds, once finished we had sprayed the pile of ashes with the hose and headed inside. Well Hours later I had gone out back (The reason I can not remember) but as I walked past the ash pile I had noticed there was a small amount of smoke coming off the pile. Closer examination revealed a small flame near the center of the pile of ashes... I had no idea as to what to think about this. I mean, hours had passed yet this pile of burnt ash had found a way to reignite. How? I have no idea. But it definitely taught me the importance of thoroughly putting out a fire once your done! Simply ensure your campfire is completely out before you leave, otherwise you run the risk of becoming the source of a massive forest fire. To which nobody wants to be. Can You Leave Embers Burning In The Fire Pit? Never leave even embers burning in a fire pit. Embers are excessively hot, and just a small gust of wind could likely be enough to kick up a few of the embers, likely pushing them out of the pit and into the nearby weeds. Again, You should never leave a campfire, until you have thoroughly put the fire out. Meaning the embers no longer retain heat. Is It Safe To Let A Campfire Burn Out On Its Own? Only If you are there attending the fire as it burns itself out. Never leave a fire to burn itself out under any circumstances! All that needs to occur is a small gust of wind and that small campfire now has the potential of lighting the entire forest on fire... Fire is like a child. The moment you leave either unsupervised, all hell could break loose! The last thing you want is to be responsible for a massive forest fire, that burns thousands of acres of land... Simply put, the risk of leaving a fire unattended to burn itself out is nowhere near worth taking when you can simply wait there for a minimal of 10 - 20 minutes extra, and thoroughly and ensure the fire is completely out before your departure. Me personally, I never leave a campfire until I have thoroughly doused the fire to the point I could touch the coals without the risk of them burning me (I don't actually touch them, nor do I ever recommend anyone do so). This basically eliminates the risk of any possibility of the fire starting back up, and sparking a massive forest fire. Conclusion In final, simply ensure your campfire has been thoroughly extinguished to the point you feel it would be safe to touch the debris in the fire pit. Of Course, Do Not Actually Touch The Contents Inside The Fire Pit. When you cognitively feel you would be safe touching the contents of the fire pit, only then is when you are safe to leave the fire pit. I want to be clear NEVER LITERALLY TOUCH THE CONTENTS INSIDE THE FIRE PIT. You run the risk of burning yourself if done, Rather base the judgement off of: Whether or not you would be comfortable theoretically touching the contents inside the fire pit? Simply analyze it visually and assess from there. If you wouldn't feel comfortable doing so figuratively, then you need to continue dousing the pit. To ensure you have thoroughly put out your campfire I suggest you fill the fire pit with water to the point the debris in the fire pit are submerged. Don't take any chances with this. A large portion of forest fires are started by campfires that were left unattended. I hope you were able to find some value here. If you have any further question regarding camping. I suggest you check out the Outdoor Luxuriez Camp Learning Center. This Is Colt Signing Off! Disclaimer: You are advised to seek expert training if you do not know how to properly, and safely build, maintain, and extinguish a campfire. Outdoor Luxuriez does not recommend doing so unless you have the proper knowledge, and training to do so from a reliable source. (Again, Never touch the hot contents inside a fire pit in an attempt to judge whether or not it is still hot, rather analyze it figuratively)