Guidelines for Fire Tenders

With the summer camping season approaching and the weather making a turn for the better, it is time for some basic fire tending review. First off, be aware of your surroundings. Many areas here in Northeast Wisconsin have had burn bans in place already this Spring. Local ordinances govern where, when and how fire may be used. Please heed them, because nothing ruins a good bonfire like a bunch of guys arriving on a fire truck! Try to use good judgment as well as (pardon the phrase) common sense. A friend once melted all the newly installed vinyl siding off the south face of his house by burning way too much fuel in relatively close proximity to the house. Normally, twenty feet is a good guide between the fire pit and any combustible material, but in his case, fifty feet was not nearly enough! Also keep in mind that in forest conditions, leaf litter that has been long covered, or root fibers can extend great distances below ground and the possibility of fire escaping out of control exists both above and below ground.

Another good rule that I like to follow is to keep a five gallon bucket of water close at hand for, not only any errant sparks or fires that escape the fire ring, but for the inevitable burnt fingers, hands, or other items that get too close to burning embers. Having ice on hand for immediate first aid in these cases works well, but can be impractical miles from a trail head.I also like to make a trip to the nearest water source to make sure there are no low branches, rocks in the trail, or other obstacles that would create a hazard in case the bucket needs to be refilled in a hurry. Remember, it is always better to be safe than sorry in the case of fire. Taking these precautions will assure the best experience possible with the least hardship involved.

Many places that you might camp have fire rings established. When you are lucky enough to have one, use it! Be advised, many poor fire tenders exist who will trow trash and other items that will not burn into fires. Before you start your fire, take the time to scrape the hearth out, remove offensive items, and dispose of non-flammable materials and trash that may have been left behind. This is a good time to explain why it is always a bad idea to throw anything but fuel into the fire. BECAUSE IT STINKS! Wax coatings on cups or plates, plastics, metals, rubber, etc. all create hazardous by-products during combustion. I have never been able to understand why someone would travel into the Great Outdoors, only to degrade the quality of the environment once they get there. Dioxins, Furans, Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons, and other carcinogenic compounds are unwelcome guests anywhere, but especially in the wilderness or your local campground. All plastics need to be packed out, never burned.

Remember, the only limitations to getting fire started are your creativity and understanding of what fire needs. Remember the three legged stool analogy. All fire needs heat, fuel, and oxygen. Heat can be provided using any one, or any combination of sources. Several folks I know have mastered the Wood Drill method. It always looks easy in the movies, but don't rely on this method until you have proven your skill in conditions that don't require you to depend on making fire with this method alone. Similarly, the flint and steel method work quite easily with a bit of practice, but I would not want to embark on a trip depending on that skill alone unless I had proven my ability in the comfort of a non-survival situation.

Fuel can be readily available, limited, or virtually non-existent depending on where you go, for how long, or again by regulation. Even areas that allow wood to be carried in are often limiting where the wood comes from to limit the spread of disease and the insects that are vectors for several tree diseases. One often overlooked fuel source, especially for the starting of fires is what I have heard called Witches Wood. Often on pines, or other oily trees, there will be tinder-dry sticks that burn easily, even after a heavy rain, because they are inside the growing canopy of the mature tree. Be aware that "punky" wood (notable for it's lightness when dry, and relative heaviness when wet) will fight you in two ways. For one, the air trapped inside will insulate deeper layers of the wood from burning, or worse yet harbor moisture which will have to turn to steam and boil off before it will burn. Worse yet, there will be far less heat value in it to begin with and will be unlikely to sustain a good burn even if it is dry. If the wood is that close to going back to the soil, let it. It will make a wonderful home for bugs.
Oxygen is one of the most frequently overlooked parts of the fire. You can't see it, but you can see the results of it. If you have fuel and adequate heat, but no real fire, boost the oxygen. Let air work it's way through the pile of wood. Many poor excuses for fires have been cured by the judicious stir, or a well placed prop that allows the fire to "breathe". This is why so many bad fires use dimensional lumber. The flat sides go together, and even though the wood is bone dry, the air cannot get to the surfaces. Remember as well that the air coming off the fire can be up to six times the size of the air coming into it. Like most fluids, hotter is larger. The hotter the fire gets, the more likely there will be no problem with smoke. The increasing size of the air will push the smoke up and away from you!

One of the best ways to prepare for a good fire is to separate your fuel into three piles, so you can have appropriate fuel for any size fire. Tinder, which has a diameter smaller than a pencil, is usually good for starting from scratch or re-stoking the fire from coals make sure that this material is as dry as possible. Impatience has stymied many, because it takes way more tinder than one might think to start and maintain a fire that will ignite the next larger size of sticks. In this pile, or perhaps if it is raining, over the top of your tinder pile, make a roof of birch bark, if you have it. Birch bark will burn even after being completely immersed in water. The resinous quality of birch makes it resistant to decay and very flammable. Small stuff, usually from about the diameter of a pencil up to about an inch needs to be at the ready as soon as the tinder is lit and able to withstand the loss of heat that the mid-sized wood will need to get going. Lastly are the larger chunks that will have staying power as your fire grows. Tinder needs to be fed or checked every few seconds up to a minute. Mid-sized fuel can occasionally be left without having to coax the flames for several minutes, but to be able to sit back and enjoy the fire, you will need considerably larger chunks of wood.

Knowing your wood species and how long it has been drying can make all the difference in the quality of the fire that you can produce. Although most wood can be made to burn, if your fire is hot enough, dry wood is always best. Moisture in the fuel makes lots of smoke, absorbs most of the heat that keeps the fire going, and is nearly useless in most instances. The best wood has been cut, split and dried for a full year, but when you camp, you have to do the best you can with what you can find. Many natural areas are fragile enough that fires should be for food only and those needs can be effectively accomplished by bringing a cook stove and fuel with you. Check with Rangers or local officials before you go, especially if you are not familiar with the area.

No Trace camping involves disappearing your fire ring. carefully choose stones for the ring that can be put back where they were, preferably with the smoked side down. When cooking needs to be done, selecting three stones large enough to balance your cook pot on, while leaving space for the fire underneath can be most effective. No trace aficionados also remove the vegetation where they intend to make fire, replacing the "plug" once the coals have been soaked, stirred and soaked again, cooling the soil so as not to cook the native turf. Google Leave No Trace for insights on camping invisibly. As the numbers of people who are looking for remote camping opportunities increase, there is more and more need for practicing no trace camping. Lasting damage, even from temporary campers has lasting negative effects on the enjoyment of others who seek to enjoy the wilds. Be respectful, try to leave no trace as much as possible. Others will appreciate your consideration.

Lastly, when the time comes to put your fire out, don't take chances. The old douse, stir, douse method has worked well for generations. You will be surprised at how much heat will invade the soil. Especially if you have had a raging fire for a couple days, don't expect to just dump the left over ice from your cooler on it. If there are any unburned chunks of wood, douse them, let them rest, and douse them again. If there is no forest duff to worry about, you can also smother fire with dirt, but don't rely on this alone. Many times I have been able to re-kindle fires that were "banked" the night before. This process involves covering the coals of the fire with dirt to slow the burn. It slows the oxygen from getting to the hot coals, saving them for a very long time.

Enjoy, enjoy!