Tag: Fire Safety

Keep These Campfire Safety Tips in Mind on Your Next Trip

Whether you’re roasting marshmallows, telling scary stories or just enjoying the company of family and friends, there are few things we love more than spending some quality time around a campfire. It’s important to remember, though, that campfires can become dangerous if you’re not careful. In the spirit of Smokey, today we’ll share a few important campfire safety tips to keep in mind on your next camping trip.

Pick the right place for your campfire.

Campfire safety should really start before you ever strike a match. Prior to building your campfire, look around to make sure there aren’t any low-hanging branches or brush nearby that might ignite from a stray spark. If you’re staying at a campground or state park, you should always use established fire pits whenever possible rather than trying to build one of your own.

Keep water and a shovel handy.

You never know when a strong gust of wind might blow and turn your little campfire into a roaring blaze. With this in mind, you should always keep a bucket of water and shovel nearby in case you need to smother the fire in a hurry. You can even wet the area around your campfire to prevent sparks from catching in the grass.

Avoid leaving the campfire unattended.

From the moment you start a campfire, you should keep an eye on it at all times. If you have to leave your campfire for a few minutes, make sure there’s someone else nearby to tend to it while you’re gone. Before you go to bed, smother the fire with ash and water and spread out any remaining embers to prevent them from reigniting.

If you’ve been missing the warm glow of a campfire this winter, we’d love to have you come visit us at our campground in sunny Florida. Book your reservation today or give us a call at (386) 294-2510 to learn more!

Learn How to Build a Great Campfire with These Helpful Tips

There’s nothing like sitting next to a roaring campfire underneath a starry sky, but do you know how to get the fire started?

Learn how to build a great campfire with these helpful tips:

  • First, gather your tinder—material that will catch fire and burn fast. This includes dry grasses, leaves, bark and wood shavings. Many campers also like having firelighter cubes on hand.
  • Make sure all the wood you’re using is dry. Wet wood is not only harder to burn, it’s also more prone to generating smoke and small bits of debris.
  • There are three popular campfire designs to consider: a cone, a log cabin and a pyramid. You can familiarize yourself with these three options here and choose the one that works best for you.
  • Using a match or lighter, light the tinder. Then, blow gently on the base of the fire to add oxygen, which will intensify the flame and help light the larger pieces of wood.
  • Stay near your fire as it burns. Never leave a campfire unattended.
  • As the fire burns, move embers toward the center so they’ll be completely burned. Ideally, you should burn them until they become white ash.
  • Eventually, it will be time to extinguish your fire. Pour water on it, stir the ashes and repeat as many times as needed. Before you leave the fire, make sure the remaining ashes are cool to the touch.

Now that you know how to build a great campfire, it’s time to book a campsite! Check out the Suwannee River Rendezvous campground and RV resort, where each campsite comes equipped with its very own fire pit. Contact us today at (386) 294-2510 to book your spot.