Heading out on a camping trip soon? One skill you’ll need to master is the art of building a campfire. Starting a campfire can be a fun and rewarding experience, but it's important to follow safety guidelines to prevent accidents.
In 2022, 87% of wildfires were caused by humans, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
So following these tips to not only easily start a campfire but safely.
- Choose a safe location for your campfire (obviously!). Make sure it's at least 15 feet away from tents, trees, and other flammable objects, and that it's in an area with a clear, flat surface. Or even better start your campfire in the designated fire pit or fire barrel.
- Gather materials. You'll need tinder (small, dry twigs and leaves or paper), kindling (small sticks), and larger logs to fuel your fire. If you're in an area where it's allowed, you can also bring fire starter materials such as matches, a lighter, or fire starter cubes. Pro tip, have a few fire started cubes in your emergency kit - they work great in damp conditions.
- Prep the area. Clear away any leaves, twigs, or other debris from the area where you'll be building your fire.
- Build the fire. Start by placing a small handful of twigs, paper or dry grass in the centre of your prepared area. Add a few sticks of kindling on top of the tinder in a tepee or log-cabin shape.
- Light the fire. If you're using matches, strike one and hold it to the tinder until it catches fire. If you're using a lighter, hold the flame to the paper until it catches. You can also use a fire starter cube or another type of fire starter if you have one.
- Add more fuel (not literally!) to the fire. Once the kindling is burning, add more sticks and small logs to the fire, gradually increase the size of logs. Make sure to place the logs in a way that allows for good airflow. Oxygen or allowing the fire to breath is a key ingredient to getting (and keeping) a fire going.
- Enjoy your fire! Get your smore kits out, sing campfire songs, or just enjoy the beauty of the fire you just created!
- Finally, at the end of the evening or when leaving the fire make sure to fully extinguish the fire. When you're ready to put out the fire, pour water over the flames until they're completely extinguished. Stir the ashes with a stick to make sure everything is wet and not smoldering. Repeat this process until you don’t see any smoke.
Remember, never leave your campfire unattended, and make sure it's completely out before you go to sleep or leave the campsite. With these steps, you'll be well on your way to starting a safe and successful campfire. For more information on burning safely and how-tos check out our friends over at Smokey Bear.