Keeping a fire going and under control

A fire burns steadily when three things are in balance: enough fuel, enough air and enough heat. If you add too much wood at once, it cools the fire and blocks the air. The flames get smaller and there is a lot of smoke. If you add wood too rarely, the embers get smaller and smaller until they can no longer ignite new wood.

The bed of embers is the heart of a good fire. Embers store a lot of heat and radiate it evenly. A log placed on good embers catches reliably, even if it is a bit thicker. A fire without an ember bed, on the other hand, is moody and quickly goes out.

Heavy smoke usually reveals a problem: the wood is too damp, packed too tightly, or too much was added at once. Good, dry wood in an airy fire burns with little smoke.

Add only a few pieces at a time, and only once the previous ones are burning well. Place the pieces so air can flow between them – for example crosswise or leaning slightly against each other. You can let damp logs pre-dry at the edge of the fire, with a gap so they do not catch uncontrolled.

Keep the fire small. A small fire with strong embers warms and cooks better than a tall pile of wood, throws fewer sparks and can be put out faster. Keep the woodpile a few steps away, placed so the wind does not carry sparks to it.

If you use a fire for warmth, a wall of logs or rock behind the fire can direct radiant heat towards where you sit. It needs enough distance from shelter, tarp and sleeping bag. But good insulation from below and warm clothing often achieve more than a big fire.

Never leave a fire unattended, not even “just briefly”. A gust of wind, a log falling over or embers rolling out are enough to ignite dry grass. Watch for sparks and changes in the wind, and push fallen embers back or put them out at once. Before sleeping or leaving, the fire is completely put out.

If the wind picks up or sparks fly into vegetation, make the fire smaller at once or put it out. If a fire is already out of control, do not fight it alone: get everyone to safety, crosswise to its spread and away from the wind, and call the local emergency number (112 in the EU). Never pour flammable liquids onto the fire.

Synthetic clothing can melt from sparks and stick to the skin. Near the fire, wool or cotton is better; loose clothing, long hair and shoes do not belong too close to the flames. Cool burns at once with cool, not ice-cold, running water; for large or deep burns, burns to the face or hands, and burns in children, call the emergency number.

With children at the fire: agree a clear distance beforehand, for example a line of stones or a stick on the ground that nobody crosses without an adult. Children can help sort wood and learn a lot doing it, but they go right up to the fire only under supervision.

Evening at camp: plan in good time how long the fire should burn, and collect the wood for it while it is light. A night needs much more wood than people estimate. Stop adding wood in good time so the fire can burn down before you put it out.

Campfire safety guidance consistently stresses two points: keep fires small and never leave them unattended. It sounds simple, but in practice it is often the hardest rule – for example when everyone is tired or wants to pop down to the stream. So agree who is responsible for the fire at any moment.

Even a small fire is dangerous in strong wind. If conditions get worse, putting the fire out is not a defeat – it is the sensible decision.