Each year millions of acres of forested lands are burned due to carelessness. Last year, there were more than 40 escaped campfires on National Forest lands in Alaska. With just a little planning, you can help prevent accidental forest fires. Here are a few easy steps you can take to make sure that when you leave, you don’t leave an uncontrolled fire behind.
- Build campfires away from overhanging branches, steep slopes, rotten stumps, dry grass, or leaves.
- Pile extra firewood away from the fire.
- Have a shovel handing for shoveling dirt on an out of control fire.
- Keep your campfire small.
- Be sure any matches you use are out and break them into pieces.
- Never leave a campfire unattended.
Extinguish fires completely
- Allow the wood to burn completely to ash if possible.
- Pour lots of water on the fire, drown ALL embers.
- Pour until the hissing sounds stops.
- Stir the ashes and embers with a shovel.
- Scrape any remaining logs to remove embers.
- Make sure everything is cold to the touch.
- If you do not have water, use DIRT or sand by mixing in with embers.
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