Learn essential outdoor fire safety skills covering safe fire locations, equipment, supervision, fuel, fire management and responsible campfire practices.
Fire lighting is a classic outdoor skill, but it should never be treated as simply a race to get a flame. A well-planned fire lighting activity can teach Scouts about preparation, responsibility, teamwork, fire safety and how to make sensible decisions outdoors. For younger or…
Activity Overview Difficulty: BeginnerTime: 30–45 minutesLocation: Suitable outdoor cooking areaBest for: Scouts and ExplorersSkills: Stove safety, fuel handling, camp cooking, fire safety, risk awareness Camp stoves provide a controlled way to cook outdoors, but they still involve flames, hot surfaces and potentially hazardous fuels. Safe…
Activity Overview Difficulty: BeginnerTime: 30–60 minutesLocation: Suitable campfire or outdoor cooking areaBest for: Cubs, Scouts and ExplorersSkills: Camp cooking, fire safety, food hygiene, heat control, teamwork Campfire roasting is a simple outdoor cooking method where food is held over the heat of a campfire using…
Activity Overview Difficulty: AdvancedTime: 45–60 minutesLocation: Indoors for demonstration or a suitable outdoor activity areaBest for: Scouts and ExplorersSkills: Fire-lighting principles, air compression, observation, experimentation, fire safety A fire piston produces heat by rapidly compressing air inside a small cylinder. The compression causes the air…
Activity Overview Difficulty: ModerateTime: 30–45 minutesLocation: Scout campsites and suitable outdoor areasBest for: Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and experienced Cubs under close supervisionSkills: Fire lighting, solar energy, tinder preparation, observation, patience and fire safety A magnifying glass can concentrate sunlight onto a small area of…
Activity Overview Difficulty: Easy–ModerateTime: 15–20 minutesLocation: Scout campsites and suitable outdoor activity areasBest for: Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and adult leadersSkills: Fire safety, ferrocerium rod handling, spark control, situational awareness and campcraft A ferrocerium rod is generally straightforward to use, but it produces very…
Activity Overview Difficulty: ModerateTime: 20–30 minutesLocation: Scout campsites and suitable outdoor fire areasBest for: Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and adult leadersSkills: Fire lighting, ferrocerium rod use, tinder preparation, fire safety and campcraft A ferrocerium rod, often called a ferro rod or fire steel, produces…
Activity Overview Difficulty: ModerateTime: 20–30 minutesLocation: Scout campsites and suitable outdoor fire areasBest for: Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and adult leadersSkills: Fire lighting, fire safety, preparation, observation and campcraft Lighting a fire with matches is a basic campcraft skill, but the preparation of the…
Leaving a campsite after a fire activity involves more than packing away the equipment. A fire that looks finished may still contain hot embers, glowing material or smouldering fuel. If it hasn’t been properly extinguished, it can remain a hazard after everyone has left. Taking…
Lighting a campfire should never be the first step of a fire activity. Before a flame is introduced, there are several things that should be checked to make sure the fire is appropriate for the location, weather conditions, equipment and people involved. Taking a few…
Smoke is an often-overlooked part of campfire safety. When people think about the dangers of a campfire, they usually think about flames, hot embers and burns. Smoke can also cause problems, particularly when a fire is producing a lot of it or wind is blowing…
Campfires can be a memorable part of camping and outdoor activities, but children need clear boundaries and appropriate supervision around fire. Younger children may not fully understand how quickly flames can cause burns or how hot embers and equipment can remain after the flames disappear….
