Campfires

Toasting marshmallows. Telling spooky stories. Cuddling up beside the fire as the night air grows cooler. Campfires kindle warm memories and evoke the freedom of the outdoors. But, like all fires, they need to be contained and tended with care. Hot embers or ashes are a leading cause of brush, grass and forest fires, which can destroy countless acres of land, wildlife and homes, as well as threaten human life.

campfire

Stay safe around campfires.

Obey the 3-Foot rule. Keep children and pets at least three feet from the fire.
Make sure tools used for toasting are appropriate and long enough to keep a safe distance.
Use long-handled matches or long wand lighters, like the BIC^® Multi-purpose Lighter, to keep a safe distance when lighting a fire.
Never use gasoline or kerosene to start or maintain a campfire. They are very volatile and can cause explosions.
In campgrounds and picnic areas, use only the established fire pits provided and follow the campground rules for their use.
If campfires are allowed outside campgrounds, choose a site well away from your tent, structures, vehicles, shrubs and trees including low-hanging branches. Clear the site down to the soil, at least five feet on all sides.
Keep it small. A large campfire can cast hot embers long distances and is more likely to get out of control.

Put It Out and Make Sure It’s Out!

Never leave your campfire unattended.
Put it out completely before you go to bed or leave the campsite.
Allow the wood to burn completely to ash, if possible.
Pour lots of water on the fire; drown ALL embers, not just the red ones.
Pour water until hissing sound stops.
Stir the campfire ashes and embers with a shovel.
Scrape the sticks and logs to remove any embers.
Make sure everything is wet and cold to the touch. If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave!

Check out Smokey Bear’s Campfire Safety Guides on:

How to Pick Your Spot
How to Build and/or Prepare Your Campfire Pit
How to Build Your Campfire
How to Maintain and Extinguish Your Campfire