Safety Tips for Starting a Fire

Practice safe bonfires.

Starting a fire begins with careful preparation. Safety comes into play at every phase: site selection, site preparation, fuel arrangement, ignition, tending, putting the fire out and cleaning up. The safety rules for outdoor fires and indoor fires are nearly identical, whether it's a roaring campfire you want or a cozy blaze in a home fireplace.

Choosing a Site

Choose a safe site to start the fire. For outdoor fires, designate a fire pit 5 feet in diameter. There should be no flammable plants or objects within 10 feet of that fire pit. No tree branches should overhang any portion of that area.

Preparing the Site

Clear out any flammable objects from the site. Dig down to bare soil or rock for the fire pit if you are having an outdoor fire. For indoor fires, open the damper for ventilation.

Arranging the Fuel

Arrange dry tinder, kindling and larger wood pieces in the fire site such that a single match will be able to start the fire. A handful of tinder, three grips of kindling and four pieces of wood the size of your forearm should suffice. For maximum safety (and environmental friendliness) do not use lighter fluid. The more carefully you arrange the fire, the less likely you will have to start over and the fewer opportunities there will be to injure yourself or others.

Igniting the Fuel

Stand between the fuel arrangement and the prevailing wind. Use a match, not a lighter, as lighters can explode. Remove a match from a matchbox and completely close the box before striking the match on it. When striking the match, hold it at the tail end between your thumb and forefinger such that the match head points down. This allows you to cup the flame in your hand, further protecting it from wind.

Set the box aside with your free hand. Cupping the flame in both hands, transport the flame into contact with the tinder. Light as much of the tinder as you can reach without putting your hand over the flames. Insert the match into the fire and let it go. Blow gently into the tinder to get it going, keeping your face to the side of, not above, the flames.

Tending the Fire

Watch the fire at all times. Monitor the distance between yourself and the fire. Gauge the direction and speed of the wind if you are having an outdoor fire; it could blow burning debris away from the fire site and into the surrounding plant life. If the fire gets out of hand, scatter the fuel using a long stick and put out the fire.

Putting Out the Fire

Let the fire burn out completely, or smother the fire in soil and water. Use a long stick to spread out the remaining wood and hot coals. Place your hand over the ashes and feel for heat. If you feel heat, the coals are still hot; smother the coals with more soil and water. Just because a fire is not aflame or smoking does not mean it is no longer burning. Do not abandon the fire until it is out.

Cleaning Up the Site

Pick up and scatter all of the expired fire remains over a wide area if you are camping. If enjoying a fire in a home fireplace, place any stray wood into the fireplace and sweep the area around the hearth. The cleaner the area, the less fuel there is to accidentally catch flame the next time you start a fire.

References

• Boy Scouts of America: Minimize Campfire Impacts

Resources

• Campfire Dude: Light Your Fire