While enjoying camping trips, remember these tips to help prevent destructive forest fires.
- Don't build a fire in a dry environment or at any campground that prohibits campfires.
- When possible, use an existing fire ring or fire pit.
- Ensure your campfire is at least 15 feet away from tent walls, shrubs, trees or other flammable objects.
- Clear a 10-foot diameter area around your campfire site, removing any grass, twigs, leaves or firewood.
- If building your own pit, dig the hole about a foot deep in the dirt and circle the pit with rocks.
- Keep your fire to a manageable size.
- Never leave your campfire unattended.
- Never cut live trees or branches from live trees.
- When you're ready to put out your fire, allow the wood to burn completely to ash.
- Pour lots of water on the fire to drown all the embers, and pour until the hissing sound stops.
- Stir the campfire ashes and embers with a shovel, scrape sticks and logs to remove embers, and make sure everything is wet and cold to the touch.
- Do not bury the fire, since it could continue to smolder. Instead, if you don't have water, mix dirt with the embers until all the material is cool.
Safety tips courtesy of www.smokeybear.com
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