Fire on a beach: rules, tides and hot sand

Sand is a good thermal insulator. There is a lot of air between the grains, and air conducts heat poorly. If you cover embers with sand, they get less oxygen but also lose hardly any heat. They keep smouldering slowly or simply stay hot, and the layer of sand on top gives nothing away. Water, on the other hand, absorbs a great deal of heat when it evaporates and therefore cools embers quickly and thoroughly.

Wind also follows its own rules by the sea. On sunny days the land warms up faster than the water; the warm air over the land rises, and cooler air flows in from the sea. This onshore wind carries sparks inland – exactly where dunes, beach grass and driftwood lie. In the evening and at night the wind can turn again. So anyone making a fire must expect changing wind directions.

First the rules: look out for notices and ask the municipality or beach staff whether and where fire is allowed. Use designated fire sites. Rules for beach fires differ greatly between countries, municipalities and seasons – if in doubt, there is no fire. In nature reserves and at bird nesting sites it is out of place in any case.

The site: open sand, far from dunes, beach grass, driftwood piles and boats. Know the local tides, because in many coastal regions the water rises and falls about twice a day, and the times shift from day to day. Do not stay in remote coves that become cut off at high tide.

The wood: bring dry firewood with you. Do not burn painted, treated or nailed wood such as pallets – harmful gases are produced when it burns, and nails remain in the sand, where someone will get hurt later. Do not throw glass or cans into the fire either.

Buried beach fires are a known, avoidable cause of severe burns, especially in children walking barefoot. So without exception: never bury a fire with sand. Pour on plenty of water, stir, pour again – until the ash and the sand beneath it are cold. Check with the back of your hand from a short distance, without touching. Seawater in a bucket is perfectly fine for extinguishing.

Keep the fire small and reduce it or put it out as soon as the wind picks up. In strong onshore wind there is no fire. Cool burns immediately with cool, not ice-cold, running water – ideally clean water you have brought with you. For large or deep burns, burns to the face or hands and burns in children, call the local emergency number (112 in the EU).

An evening barbecue on the beach: many municipalities provide designated barbecue or fire spots. The ground there is prepared, and there are often containers for ash. Bring a bucket so you can fetch extinguishing water, and plan the extinguishing firmly before everyone gets tired.

At the end of the evening, take all remains and rubbish with you or dispose of them as provided for on site. A good sign that you did everything right: the next morning someone can walk barefoot over the spot without anything happening, and nobody can see there was a fire.