Firepit Safety While Camping

Here at Landscape Connection, we mainly deal with firepit installation in our customers backyards, but we do enjoy building a firepit when we go camping, so we thought it would be great to put together a little firepit safety lesson.

Camping wouldn't be camping without a campfire, but making a firepit gives you the accompanying responsibility of making sure that it is safe and won't harm man, animals, or nature. Here are a few firepit safety tips to ensure that your camping trip remains safe and environmentally friendly.

1. Plan your firepit ahead of time, even before you leave the city. For safety reasons, it is best to bring along a fire extinguisher for "just in case" scenarios. Make sure you bring everything you'll need for the campfire so that you won't have to "make do."
2. Teach your children the "stop, drop and roll" technique so that they will know what to do in case their clothes accidentally catch fire while camping.
3. Check the rules in the area where you'll be camping. Some states do not allow campfires during certain times of the year - such as summer months - because of the increased risk of forest fires.
4. Build your firepit in an open area away from trees, overhanging branches, tents, enclosed areas and flammable objects.
5. Put rocks around the fire to keep it from spreading.
6. Make sure there is a source of water nearby so that you can extinguish the fire easily.
7. Install a screen around the firepit to contain the sparks and to prevent the wind from disturbing the flames.
8. Never use gas or other flammable liquids to start your fire. Instead, use newspapers and/or kindling.
9. Never leave the firepit unattended. Make sure there is always an adult around, especially if you're bringing children along.
10. Check the weather before your start a fire. If the winds are too strong, don't ignite the firepit as flying sparks may cause a forest fire.
11. At night, make sure the fire is completely extinguished before you go to sleep. Use a fire extinguisher or pour water over the fire to kill the flames. Make sure there are no smolderiing embers left. Then, cover the firepit with a non-flammable lid to keep it secure.
12. Never use flammable liquids such as gas, propane, kerosene, etc. to light the inside of your tent. Besides posing a huge fire risk, these could also cause carbon monoxide poisoning. Use a flashlight or a battery powered lantern instead.