The sound of the cracking fire, the flames lapping into the night air as you laugh with your friends is a great experience. From primitive man, fire has been the life blood of civilization. It is fire that raised man above the animals on the evolutionary scale. The American Pioneers as well as the Native Americans used fire as a basic tool for their survival. Today, we use campfires for warmth, light, cooking and camaraderie. One only needs to experience the crackling of a campfire late in the evening once to understand how it provides security, comfort and entertainment during the darkest of wilderness nights.
Most campers look forward to building a campfire to enjoy. Keep in mind however that many areas have restrictions on fires or they are prohibited all together. Check with the regulating authority on the area you are planning to visit to determine whether a campfire is legal and if so, if a permit is required. With today’s modern fabrics to keep one warm at night, camp stoves for cooking and candle or battery operated lanterns; a campfire is rarely a requirement for survival or comfort anymore.
If you do decide to build a campfire, there are essentially three things dependent on safe care for a campfire; a safe place, a safe size and proper extinguishing of the fire after use. Additionally, once the fire is built, it is against the law to leave it unattended.
The best place to build a campfire is in a designated fire pit or fireplace. Most established campgrounds have fire pits or fire rings constructed for use by campers. If you are camping more primitively, and there is not an established place to build a fire, one should choose an area clear of overhanging trees, shrubbery or structures. The fire pit should be a safe distance from the tent, tarps or other items that could ignite easily. Clear all ground debris down to the dirt in a ten to twelve foot circle where the fire is going to be built. If building a fire on grass, use a layer of dirt to cover the grass. If the ground is wet, or being built on the snow, use a layer of logs, bark and dirt to provide a layer between the fire and the moisture. Using rocks as a fire boundary can also be done. Do not use rocks that have been submerged in water, such as river rocks. As the water inside them heats up, the expanding steam can cause the rock to explode or break.
The size of the campfire is important. The days of blazing bon-fires are gone. Small fires are safer and use fewer resources. Besides that, a small fire encourages the camaraderie and closeness around the fire after dark. Large fires are dangerous and can easily get out of control. Build the fire for what you need. If a cooking fire is being built, don’t burn your trash on the fire before cooking. This prevents your food from tasting like the garbage that you burned.
After use, the fire must be properly extinguished. The proper way to extinguish a fire is by using plenty of water and a shovel or stick to turn the coals and dirt. Sprinkling water is more effective than pouring because of the cooling effect and coverage given by the sprinkled water. Rake and turn the coals into the surrounding soil and feel for heat with your hands.
Constant vigilance is the key to enjoying a fire while in the outdoors. If you let the flames roar high, the spirits of fellow campers will follow. But rest assured, those roaring flames create a real danger. When it is time to crawl into that sleeping bag, or head off to your camper, be sure the coals are out cold. Building fires to high and improperly extinguishing campfires are two of the leading causes of forest fires in our wilderness today. Take care of it, and your campfire will provide comfort, security and lift friendships to new levels.
