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When roughing it under the starry sky, a campfire is often a necessity to cook or keep warm. Our guide, How to Put Out a Campfire, provides steps to extinguish the flames safely to ensure the area remains preserved and protected.
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Campfire Tips
- Extinguish the fire at least 30 minutes before you break camp.
- Douse all of the embers with water until the sizzling stops.
- Stir the area to ensure all of the embers are wet and cold.
- You can also extinguish a fire by mixing the embers with dirt until they're cold.
- Scatter the ashes and cover the area with dirt to return it to its original state.
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Introduction
- If you're planning a camping trip or hiking excursion, you may want to build a campfire to cook your meals, warm your coffee or keep you toasty as you tell rousing tales in the evening. Once you enjoy the flame, however, you'll need to extinguish it properly to guarantee the safety of the area around you.
Follow Campfire Safety
- A roaring campfire can quickly turn into a dangerous blaze if you're not careful. Follow some safety tips to keep yourself and the forest safe.
- Always look for signs or check with the area's Division of Forestry to be sure there isn't a campfire ban in effect due to unsafe conditions.Daniel Boone National Forest: Campfire Safety
- Never build the campfire too close to tree branches, stumps, logs, dry grass or leaves that can easily ignite.Daniel Boone National Forest: Campfire Safety
- Only build a small campfire and keep flammable material away from the area since a little wind could make the fire grow and spread quickly.Daniel Boone National Forest: Campfire Safety
- Ensure the match you started the fire with is completely cold before you discard it.Daniel Boone National Forest: Campfire Safety
- Always be sure someone is at the campsite to supervise the campfire.SmokeyBear.com: Campfire Safety: Maintaining Your Campfire
- Never put items like glass, aluminum cans or pressurized aerosol cans in or close to the fire.SmokeyBear.com: Campfire Safety: Don't Burn Dangerous Things
Put Out the Campfire
- Although you may see the fire burn to ash, it's not enough to ensure the embers are safely out. To do so, use the following steps.
With Water
- Extinguish the fire at least 30 minutes before you break camp to ensure it's out before you leave.Sequoia National Forest: How to Safely Build and Extinguish a Campfire
- Drown the entire area with water until the embers stop hissing.SmokeyBear.com: Campfire Safety: Extinguishing Your Campfire
- Scrape any remaining logs and look under rocks to check for hot embers.SmokeyBear.com: Campfire Safety: Extinguishing Your Campfire
- Stir the area to be sure all of the embers and burnt materials are soaking wet.Modoc National Forest: Outdoor Fire Safety
- Feel the area with your hand to ensure all of the embers are cold.Sequoia National Forest: How to Safely Build and Extinguish a Campfire
- Check the area at least 50 feet around the campfire to look for any remaining embers that may have flown off and are still smoldering.Sequoia National Forest: How to Safely Build and Extinguish a Campfire
With Dirt
- If you don't have enough water available, you can cover the embers with a large amount of dirt.Modoc National Forest: Outdoor Fire Safety
- Stir the mixture and add more dirt until you're sure the embers are cold.SmokeyBear.com: Campfire Safety: Extinguishing Your Campfire
- Continue adding dirt and stirring until the area feels cold to your bare hand.Modoc National Forest: Outdoor Fire Safety
- YouTube Video: How to Build a Campfire: How to Put Out a Campfire (Time: 1:20)
Restore the Area
- Before you leave the campsite, be sure to leave it in a natural state with these tips.
- Ensure all of the campfire's ashes are cold, then scatter them around the area instead of leaving them in a pile.Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness: Beginner's Guide to Making Campfires
- Replace the soil over the campfire site so it looks like it did when you arrived.Los Alamos: Fire Safety
- If you used coals, be sure they're completely cold, then bury them or scatter them where they won't be seen.Los Alamos: Fire Safety
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