If you have spent much time around camp fire, or bonfire for that matter. You likely know the sounds that can come from it. Specifically, the popping, snacking, and crackling noises that typically come from the campfire. These noises to some can make for a more enjoyable and relaxing experience around the campfire. But why exactly to these noises occur?
Today we will be going over why you hear the noise you hear, such as the crackling popping and snapping sounds that are so commonly heard of when enjoying a campfire, or simply back yard bonfire. Truth be told, the culprits behind these campfire sounds are quite simple, but in a way a scientific.
That is depending on the method behind the sound. Now, let me give you a little bit of a back story. You see, I personally have spent a lot of time around a campfire (quite literally every time I go out into the backcountry I have to build a fire, I just enjoy them so much and find them to provide a focal point for any group or friendship to reside around for a moment in time).
Anyway, over my many years of time spent around the campfire that I’ve come to realize that there are a multitude of different reasons as to why a campfire, or bonfire for that matter, is likely going to make a popping, snapping, or crackling noise throughout the duration of the burn.
I have found that, in essentially all situations that cause a campfire to make a popping noise it is due to pressure buildup of something inside the fire pit. Whether it be the wood itself, or other debris that may have fallen inside the fire pit unknowingly, or knowingly. For this reason, there are a multitude of different possibilities as to why a fire will make a popping, snapping, or crackling sound.
The typical culprit for the sounds are as follows:
Why Campfire’s Make A Popping Noise:
Most commonly, the reason many hear a snapping, crackling, or popping sound coming from a campfire is simply due to Small pockets of air, or liquids in the grain of the wood that build up pressure when exposed to heat. Once the pressure becomes to much for the wood to withstand, the wood will burst, creating a micro split in the wood along with a loud snap, crackle, or pop noise.
Next time you’re enjoying a fire, you watch closely, and you will likely be able to see movement inside the fire pit as the fire pops. This is because the pressure buildup can be so great that once it is released it can causes the wood to move slightly in one direction or the other. Sometimes it will even pop debris from the fire pit up in the air, and even sometimes out of the fire pit.
Other Possible Reasons A Fire Pops
- The Type Of Wood You Burning
- The Stage Of The Wood (Seasoning Stage)
- Rocks In The Pit, Getting To Hot And Cracking
- Bugs Inside The Wood (Bugs Inside a log can make a crackling, popping sound when they heat up)
- Scavagings from wildlife stored in the wood (Acorns, Seeds…)
The Type Of Wood You Burn: Wood like pine and other sap filled trees can cause more popping then others simply because they house more liquid inside the wood. With pine the issue becomes the sap trapped inside of pockets stationed throughout the inside of the wood.
The Stage Of The Wood: By Stage I simply mean the point at which the wood is at during the seasoning process (The process of drying out wood). People do what’s called seasoning of firewood, which essentially means drying out the wood so it is fit to burn. Well, if the wood has not had enough time to season (Dry out) then it is very likely there will be pockets of moisture at different points inside the wood. To which will cause a snapping, crackling, or popping sound to come from it once exposed to the heat of the fire.
Rocks In the Fire Pit: Simple rocks can make a loud pop noise when exposed to heat. What happens is, any rocks that are in or around the fire pit will begin to build up heat the longer they are exposed to the fire. Well, some rocks cannot withstand the intense heat, and expansion. Once they hit a curtain temp the rock will burst into two possible more pieces. My theory is that the rocks have micro air pockets inside them that build pressure to a point the rock cannot withstand the pressure, resulting a a split of the rock. I personally used to purposefully through small rocks into the campfire to get this loud pop noise, well because I was young and though it was funny… However, I later became aware of the dangers it an put those in who are around the fire.
Bugs & Scavangings Inside The Wood: Many bugs like Ants, Beatles, Caterpillars along with other related wildlife will make the remains of tipped over trees and stumps into their homes. This makes it quite easy for bugs and other small insects to find themselves in the center of your fire. I personally have thrown a couple logs on that looked as if they had been gnawed on by bugs, but showed no signs of life. Shortly after placing the wood on the fire came a mass amount of popping and crackling. This made me think their were either deceased bugs, and or scavnagings from wildlife that had been placed inside the wood.
How To Keep The Popping To A Minimum
Though the snap, crackle, and pop of a campfire can be an enjoyable sound to many. It can get excessive, and annoying depending on how frequent the popping occurs. In most cases the type, or condition of the wood you burn has a direct corilation to the amount of Snapping, Crackling, and Popping you are going to hear.
For example, Wet wood, as well as freshly cut, unseasoned wood will pop at a much more rapid rate then that of thoroughly seasoned (dried) wood.
Same goes for wood that looks as if it is, or has been inhabited by bugs, or other wildlife. Wood with singnes of gnawing, holes, and other features that signal an inhabitant of wildlife will likely pop significantly for a moment, due to contents being inside the wood.
Conclusion
In final, the largest cause of the noises that come from a campfire are due to pressure buildup inside of the wood and other materials inside the pit being burned. Specifically, the wood itself will commonly have small pockets of liquid and/or air that will build up pressure once exposed to heat.
The higher the pressure builds inside these micro air pockets, the closer the wood gets to cracking, shifting, or bursting. It is when this cracking, shifting, and in most cases, bursting occurs that you hear the loud popping noise.
Keep in mind, this is all happening in a micro level. So, from your point of view all you will likely see is maybe a tiny amount of movement from the wood that has been placed inside the fire, as well as a popping noise. But on a micro level, pressure is building inside the wood to appoint the wood is no longer able to withstand. It is when the wood gives, and the pressure releases when you hear the snap, crackle, or pop coming from the fire.
If you dislike the popping noise that comes from the fire be sure to use dry, well-seasoned wood. Meaning, would that has had enough time to dry out that moisture no longer exists on the inside or outside of the wood.
I hope you were able to find some value here. If you have any further questions regarding campfire’s, be sure to check out the Outdoor Luxuriez Making Fire: Everything Campfires section of the site. There you will learn much more surrounding the topics of: how to build a campfire, as well as how to maintain, and extinguish a campfire safely. Plus, there’s a multitude of different tips and safety techniques shared in the campfire content library. Along with Campfire Gear recommendations of only gear we personally use.
I hope you found all you were looking for! Good luck on your next outing, and always remember to enjoy what nature has to offer!
This Is Colt Signing Off!
