Learn essential outdoor fire and heat skills, including campfires, stoves, fire lays, lighting and maintaining fires, fire safety and staying warm.
Extinguishing a campfire safely is just as important as lighting and maintaining it. Many fire-related problems happen because people assume a fire is out before it has actually cooled, rush the final checks or use an inappropriate method. For Scouts, learning about common mistakes can…
Water is often the first thing people think of when they need to extinguish a campfire, but it isn’t the only consideration. The right way to extinguish a fire depends on the type of fire, the location, the fuel being burned and the equipment available….
A campfire can look finished long before the ashes are actually cool. Ash can contain hot embers that remain capable of causing burns or reigniting nearby material. This makes dealing with ashes an important part of properly finishing a fire activity. For Scouts, understanding hot…
Putting out a campfire is only the first part of extinguishing it safely. A fire can appear to be out while hot embers and ash remain underneath. These can stay hot for a surprisingly long time and may be capable of reigniting if they are…
Cooking over a campfire is a useful outdoor skill, but a good cooking fire isn’t simply a large fire with lots of flames. The aim is to create and maintain a steady, controllable source of heat that suits the food, cookware and cooking method being…
A good campfire doesn’t need to have huge flames to be effective. For many outdoor activities, the most useful fire is one that burns steadily and predictably, providing a consistent amount of heat without constantly flaring up, smoking or dying down. Keeping a campfire burning…
Adding wood to a campfire seems simple, but it is an important part of maintaining a fire safely. Adding too much fuel at once can make a fire suddenly grow, while placing wood badly can cause burning logs to roll or sparks to escape. Good…
A good campfire isn’t necessarily a large campfire. One of the most important parts of fire maintenance is keeping the fire at a suitable size for what you are trying to do. A fire that is too small may not provide enough heat, while a…
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….
