When lighting a grill,
you want your hands
and clothing as far
away from the flame
as possible. Use a
multi-purpose lighter
to increase your reach.

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