Start Your Campfires

As far as I’m concerned, campfires are an integral part of camping.  Without a campfire, the food just isn’t as good, don’t get me started on the lack of s’mores, gathering with friends is ackward, and you can’t even wake up smelling like smoke.  I have to admit, I may have taken campfires for granted.  Around here, it’s just part of camping. But on a recent trip out west, I had a rude awakening to the fact that not all places have that luxury.  In fact, a lot of campgrounds out west don’t EVER allow campfires.  At one campground, they had a community “reflection ring”.  It looked like fire ring and even had Adirondack chairs to relax (and apparently reflect), but fire wasn’t allowed. Understandably, the dry, hot, dessert like environments don’t exactly lend themselves to a safe campfire but it was still sad.  And camping was definitely not the same.  So, in honor of the long Midwest tradition of camping with campfires, here are a few things to remember around campfires.

1. Use the fire ring and please don’t move it. Choosing a good location for a fire is important and we’ve already done that for you. Having a safe distance from trees, structures, your camper, and your neighbor’s is important. Plus, if you move it, there will be an ugly dead spot in the grass, and no one likes that.
2. Make sure you prepare the surrounding area. For example, if it’s windy, move items that could blow into the fire or that could be damaged by the smoke or heat downwind.  Never put up a tent or the like close to a fire: one spark and it won’t just be marshmallows roasting.
3. Keep the fire small. You can always add more wood to keep it going all night but it’s harder and takes longer to put it out if it gets too big.  Not to mention a large fire can be dangerous.  It can get out of control quickly, get too hot to comfortably enjoy, destroy your or your neighbor’s property, or worse. 
4. Only burn approved wood. Some states or areas don’t allow the transport of wood and some campgrounds don’t allow you to bring wood. Burning pallet wood or boards that could potentially have nails, screws, or staples is a big NO NO. Check the rules before bringing wood with you.
5. Last but not least, put the fire out and put it out properly, even if you’re just going to bed. In general, a fire or hot coals should never be left unattended. To properly extinguish a fire, let it burn to ashes (another reason to keep it small), pour water over the entire fire, wood, embers, and ashes, stir everything with a shovel, and finally test for heat by holding the back of your hand close to the ashes (don’t touch anything though!) Once there is no fire, embers, or heat, your fire is safely out.

Safety first! Make fun a close second and follow these rules. Your fellow campers and campground owners will thank you!

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