Spending time sitting around a campfire with those closest to you as the land becomes dark can be a wonderful way to spend an evening. But at some point you were going to need to put out the fire and call it a night.
Today we are going to be discussing how to properly put out a fire but with a Twist. You see, I don’t know about you, but I personally have been in multiple situations that require me to use elements other than water to put out past campfires.
Now, of course using water to put out a campfire is probably the simplest and most economical ways to go about putting out a fire. However, the problem is, we don’t always have access to water that can be spared for the campfire.
If you are one who is involved in backpacking, you know more than most how important water conservation can be. Especially when you are outside the bounds of modern technological reach.
Personally speaking, If you don’t have access to a natural water source, or you simply didn’t bring enough water that can be spared to put out the campfire. I would suggest you avoid building a campfire if possible. But I know in many situations you may need to build a fire simply because your life depends on it, whether it be to cook food, boil water, or simply to get warm fire can be a life saver.
But if you haven’t got a viable method for putting out that fire properly, you can not only put yourself in danger, but also the forest and all life in the forest.
Putting out a fire without water can be risky if proper measures are not taken into account. My goal here is to provide you with methods to which you can go about putting out a campfire without water. However, keep in mind proper skills, and understanding are required in order to go about doing so.
How To Put Out A Campfire With No Water
The reason why water is used to put out a campfire, or really any type of fire for that matter, is because water essentially is the opposite of Fire. Because of this water cancels out fire instantly, and quickly cools the hot Embers to the point re-ignition is virtually impossible without a manufactured spark.
By not using water to put out a fire, you basically have to wait for the fuel to burn up, and the air to cool the embers. Which can take an extensive amount of time to happen (were talking 12 – 24 hours before the embers cool to the point it is safe to leave).
However, we can speed up this process by removing 2 of the three elements from the fire equation. Many know that fire requires three main elements in order to burn properly those elements are:
- Heat
- Fuel
- Oxygen
Without one or multiple of the above elements combustion cannot occur. So our goal should be to remove one or multiple of the elements in order to put out the fire. However it is important to keep in mind that it will take a longer period of time for the heat to dissipate when trying to put out a fire without the use of water.
So, How do we put out a fire without the use of water? The best way to go about putting out a fire without water is to first let the fire finish burning the wood (fuel) in the pit all the way down to coals. Then using a shovel (or similar tool) begin throwing dirt and sand on to the hot Embers, while occasionally stirring the hot coals, dirt and sand together.
By completely burning up at the fuels that are in the pit you remove one of the three above elements (Fuel). Then by throwing dirt / sand on the coals you essentially remove another element (Oxygen). Leaving the last element (Heat) to dissipate on its own.
However, it is vitally important that you do not leave your fire at this moment. I have had multiple instances where a campfire was even doused with water and it still came back to life on its own hours later. The thing about fires is, if they are not properly put out to the point you could essentially touch it without any risk of burns, they could still start up on their own.
This is why it is vitally important that you keep an eye on the Fire even hours after you have gone about putting it out. Then once you feel safe to do so, feel the fire pit for hot spots. If you feel any spots that are hot continue mixing the elements in the pit, as well as, continue waiting for the heat to dissipate.
Let’s dive deeper into detail on the top methods for putting out a fire without water.
3 Methods To Put Out Your Fire Without Water
It is important to note: If you need to extinguish the fire quickly because you are leaving the area shortly, it is highly recommended that you use water to extinguish the fire. Using other elements such as dirt and sand to extinguish a fire requires more time to thoroughly and completely put out a fire and ensure it is out.
Anyway the top 3 methods are as follows:
- Use The Dirt & Sand Available Around The Pit
- Build The Fire In A Deep Hole (Under surface level)
- Flip The Coals & Dirt Inside The Pit (Requires A Shovel)
Essentially in all 3 methods you are using the dirt and/or sand that is available at the site to put out the fire. However, each method uses a different tactic to go about doing so.
1st Method: Use The Dirt Around The Pit
In this first method you were going to be using the dirt and sand that is available around the pit, maybe even inside the pit around the fire. The idea here is to Simply throw dirt and sand on the hot Embers while mixing the embers,dirt,and sand together every couple of scoops.
Steps:
1st: Let the fire thoroughly burn all the wood in the pit. Leaving a fine pile of red hot coals (embers). Note: you may need to break up the wood using a shovel (or similar tool) while to wood burns. This will speed up the burn process.
2nd: Begin throwing lose dirt and/or sand on top of the hot coals, while occasionally stirring the elements together. This will help prevent oxygenating the hot coals. Do this until you have an even mixture of coals, and dirt / sand. The more you dilute to coals with dirt or sand the better off.
3rd: Keep an eye on the pit for the next few hours while occasionally repeating the 2nd step above. Once the pit has cooled to the point you can run you hands through the pit without the risk of burns you are safe to leave the fire pit.
2nd Method: Build The Fire In A Deep Hole
For a quicker way to put out a fire using dirt or sand, I suggest you go about digging a deeper then usual hole to place you fire in. Here is all about preparation. You see, with typical fire pits you don’t exactly build the fire below the surface of the ground. The goal here is to do exactly that. This will make burying the hot coals / ashes simple and quick.
You see, in most cases, if you are to bury the elements of a fire you will be required to pile dirt rather then fill it into a hole. But by digging a hole that places the fire under ground level. You simply have to replace the dirt you pulled out once you are done. To which buries the hot coals excessively well!
Steps:
1st: Before you build the fire, dig a hole that is deep enough, and wide enough to snugly fit the wood you intend to burn. While keeping the wood underneath ground level. In most cases this will be a hole that measures near to 8 Inches – 1 Foot (Deep) X 1 Foot – 2 Feet (Diameter). Be Sure to pile the dirt you pull from the hole near enough to the hole that it will be easily accessible when it comes time to put out the fire.
2nd: When it comes time to put out the fire. Ensure the wood has been completely burned down to ashes. Then begin throwing small amounts of the dirt you pulled from the hole earlier back into the hole. Mixing the dirt and ashes occasionally. Once you have a well diluted mix of dirt / sand and ashes. Let the hole sit for a while as the ashes / embers cool (Let sit for 30 min to 1 hour).
3rd: Now, you should have some space in the hole that still needs to be filled in. Using the rest of the dirt pile, finish filling in the hole. Avoid stirring the ashes, as we want to keep them under the ground. Stirring at this point would bring the hot ashes near to the surface (Which we don’t want).
4th: Keep an eye on the “Now filled in hole”, and feel the surface of the “used to be hole”. Ensure no heat is making its way to the surface. If so, do not leave the area until the surface has cooled.
3rd Method: Rotate The Dirt Under The Embers (Requires A Shovel)
Method 3 is near to method 1. However, instead of using the dirt and/or sand that is available around the pit. You are going to be using the dirt / sand that is available underneath the hot embers.
Steps:
1st: Let the fire burn the wood down completely. Leaving nothing but a fine pile of hot white ashes (embers)
2nd: Using a shovel. Dig down into the pile of hot ashes. You should be able to reach the dirt lining the base of the pit. Scoop up the dirt / ash mix and flip it in the same hole you just pulled from. This should leave the dirt on top, and the ashes underneath. Do this multiple times, until you have a thouroly mix of dirt/sand and ashes. The goal is to dilute the ashes with so much dirt and/or sand that its difficult to tell ashes are present in the mix.
3rd: Leave enough time for the mix to thoroughly cool before leaving. If you are unable to touch the pit without the risk of burns then you must wait longer, occasionally repeating the 2nd step above.
If you have access to dirt and/or sand around the fire pit, I suggest you use some of the outside dirt / sand for the concoction for added dilution.
Tool Recommendation!
If you have any intention of extinguishing future campfires or bonfires without the use of water I strongly suggest you get yourself a good shovel. The second best natural element to be used for putting out fires is dirt or sand. Without proper tools it can be difficult to put out a fire using dirt or sand.
Because of this I strongly suggest you get an easy to carry, foldable shovel. There are a multitude of stowaway shovels available on Amazon. Anything from mini multi functional shovels, to simple folding shovels. Either way, a good shovel that takes up a minimal amount of space is a great option to have with you on any backcountry Adventure.
From my experience surrounding backcountry gear, multi functional tools are the way to go. They take up a minimal amount of space, yet function for more tasks than simply one! My preferred Backcountry shovel is available Here on amazon. Check it out for current pricing, and specs now!
Dangers Of Putting Out A Fire Without The Use Of Water
The problem with using natural elements other than water to put out a fire is that the Heat coming off of the hot wood and Embers takes much longer to dissipate then when doused with water.
This extension have time it takes for the debris Inside the Fire to cool can mean the difference of having to wait multiple hours for a fire pit to cool, or simply minutes.
Not to mention, using water creates less of a mess to be cleaned up when speaking of designated multi-use fire pits. Picture this, you’re up to Canyon and you have rented a campsite. You have a campfire in the fire pit, and in order to put out the fire you throw dirt over the fire filling up the pit with dirt.
Now, that fire pit will need to be cleaned out before it’s next use. Simply because it is now filled with dirt, making it difficult for the fire ring to keep the Flames managed inside the pit.
Issues like this, tend to come up when trying to put out a fire using dirt or other natural elements as such. In most cases, using water is going to be the most economical way to go about putting out a fire, whether it be a campfire or bonfire.
However, like we discussed above, if you don’t have access to water the next best thing is to use dirt or sand. Though it requires cleaning later on of stationary fire pits. It is an option that works, as long as you have the knowledge and skill to implement these ideas.
Why Using Water To Put Out A Fire Is So Economical
- Water Makes Extinguishing A Fire Quick And Easy
- Water Cools Embers Nearly Instantly
- Saves A Lot Of Time (Especially when in a hurry)
Pitfalls Of Not Using Water To Put Out A Campfire
- All wood needs to be burned down to coals completely.
- You must keep a close eye on the pit for an extended period of time.
- Higher risk of the fire starting back up.
Conclusion
Though, putting out a fire without the use of water isn’t ideal. It can be done by simply using dirt and/or sand. The idea behind using dirt or sand to put out a fire is based around the idea of removing any fuel that can keep the fire going, as well as removing any Oxygen that can reach the heat.
Simply speaking dirt and sand acts as a natural fire retardant. Dirt and sand and itself is not flammable to any degree, which makes it a great option to use for burying hot coals / embers.
If you know you will not have any access the water, yet you need fire whether it be for cooking, boiling, or warmth. I suggest you go about digging a somewhat deep hole to place your fire in. This will make burying the hot coals at the end of your fire a breeze. Refer to method 2 above for finer detail.
I hope you were able to find some value here! If you have any further questions or concerns regarding campfire safety, or techniques I suggest you take a look at the Outdoor Luxuries Making Fire: Everything Fire section of the site. There we go over tips and techniques, as well as safety precautions when handling campfires. Also we have some recommended gear that is ideal for those who had the occasional backyard or backcountry fire.
This Is Colt Signing Off!