Enjoy Your Fire Pit and Campfire … Safely!

7/29/2020 (Permalink)

Enjoy your fire pit or campfire with friends and family—but follow our basic safety guidelines to prevent a fire disaster.

It’s summer and that means friends and family gather around campfires and fire pits to share the dancing flames, conversation, laughter and maybe even s’mores. But while you’re enjoying the fun, you must heed some basic safety rules to make sure the flames don’t spread and turn pleasure into tragedy.

Whether it’s a fire pit or a campfire you’re enjoying, you’ll want to take these important precautions to prevent a fire disaster.

Starting the Fire

• Don’t use flammable fluids—lighter fluid, gasoline, alcohol, diesel fuel or kerosene—to light or relight fires.
• Don’t start a fire on a windy day.
• Seasoned hardwood is the best fuel. Soft woods, such as pine or cedar, can pop and throw sparks, so don’t use them. Don’t burn trash, leaves, paper, cardboard or plywood.

When setting up and using a fire pit:

• Don’t overload the fire pit. Make sure you can close the lid to extinguish the fire in an emergency.
• Your fire pit should be at least ten feet away from buildings, trees, shrubs and other flammable objects.

When setting up your campfire:

• Don’t build a fire in dry conditions or if a fire is prohibited. Use an existing fire ring if there is one.
• Your fire should be fifteen feet or more away from tents, shrubs, trees or other flammable objects. Look up to make sure there are no low-hanging branches overhead.

Enjoying the Fire

• Have a fire extinguisher, garden hose or bucket of water nearby.
• Establish a three-foot safety zone around the fire and make sure children and pets stay out of the zone.
• Keep flammable material and fluids far away from the fire.
• Don’t wear loose-fitting or flammable clothing, such as nylon.

Extinguishing the Fire

The risk doesn’t end until the flames and embers are 100% out.

• If time allows, let the fire burn completely to ashes.
• Pour water on the fire until you no longer hear hissing sounds. Make sure all the embers are doused, not just the red ones.
• With a shovel, stir the embers to make sure all are wet and cold to the touch.
• If you don’t have water, cover the embers with dirt or sand and stir until everything is cool. Don’t just bury the fire and walk away, as the fire can smolder and reignite.

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