Why should we put out a campfire?
Firefighters devote their lives to save people trapped in flames, the government put countless of funds on fire prevention projects, thousands of people lose their lives in fire accidents every year. A forest fire may destroy the whole forest and the innocent animals in their natural habitats always get the worst of the effect of fire. The little mistakes that we make always lead to the destruction of of billions cash and large chunks of the natural Eco-system. Everyone should develop the skills on how to put out a campfire to avoid destruction and loss of life.
How to put out a campfire
How to put out a campfire
I will list some steps to put out the campfire, you should remember them. It is better though to prevent the forest fire before the worst comes to the worst. Prevention is better than cure they say.
- When you want to make a campfire, try to find an existing fire ring used by others before. Setting up a new campfire place only increases the risk of generating sparks which may start a fire.
- Clear all the combustibles around the campfire, like dry branches, seasoned leaves and abandoned rags.
- Select an open level spot away from trees, logs, stumps, overhanging branches, dense dry grass, and forest litter.
- Always have plenty of water and a shovel nearby for throwing dirt on the fire if it gets out of control thereby controlling become more bigger and burn out of control.
- Never leave a campfire unattended! Even a small breeze could quickly cause the fire to spread. Make sure a responsible adult is always in attendance.
And after you enjoy your splendid scenery and delicious campfire cooking recipes, it is time to put out the fire. Putting out a campfire needs more patience and keen observation. These are some of the methods you can use to put out the campfire.
- Fill a bucket with water and pour the water into the campfire slowly. When you doing this, do not stand directly above the fire for the possibility of being burnt. Continually pour the water on the the campfire until all the hissing sound from the fire stops.
- Use a stick or shovel to mix the ashes and embers. In this procession, you will find some burning embers and ashes buried deeply, they are the dangerous factors of the campfire’s remnants. And you may uncover more embers and wood before you leave.
- Scrape off the surface of the stick and logs that you stir the mixture of fading campfire because under the surface of them the embers are still burning and may cause a wildfire.
- Pour more water on the fire after you’ve mixed the ashes with the embers. Add more water to till the remaining embers and burning pieces of firewood are completely burnt.
- Now you have to test and see whether the campfire is totally extinguished; Touch the embers and logs to feel the temperature. If you can stand the heat, that means the coal and embers have cooled down. If the remnants are still too hot to touch, pour more water to it.
- Repeat the steps until the fire is cool to touch. The rocks surrounding the fire should be cool to the touch when the fire is fully extinguished.
Another method which we call it “the fire funeral”
- First, you should wait until the fire dies down, you can appreciate the great landscape and enjoy the camping while you are it. Don’t add any logs or wood in it if you know you are leaving soon so that the fire can stop burning. If you need to extinguish the fire quickly, this is not an ideal method. Instead, use water to put out your fire.
- Mix the ashes together by shovel or stick. Don’t leave any ash can be the cause of a wildfire. Mix them together carefully. Uncover large non burnt logs or sticks to make sure that there are no embers remaining under the ashes.
- Stir dirt or sand into the embers. You just want enough dirt or sand to smother the embers and to extinguish the fire fully. Do not cover or bury the fire, as this could create a fire under the surface of the dirt that could reignite later and will make the sand or dirt incredibly hot.
- Put your hands several inches away from the coal to make sure it is completely cooled down.
There has been sporadic forest or campfire fires in the recent past and the safety of the natural Eco system is everyone’s responsibility. There is no reason to destroy nature by your carelessness. Please remember that, when we enjoy the pleasure that nature brings to us, we also hold the responsibility to protect her at the same time. Have these little tips on how to put out a campfire so that next time you are on a lovely campfire expedition it does not turn out to be a wildfire.
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