Arguably the most important task in having a campfire is putting it out. A fire that hasn’t been properly extinguished is dangerous, whether it’s in your backyard or at the campsite.
Many ace fire-builders don’t give much thought to putting out a blaze or do so insufficiently—too often just allowing a fire to wind down on its own. In this post, we’ll run through the nuts and bolts of responsibly extinguishing that fire of yours after it’s provided an evening’s worth of entertainment!
Why Put Out a Campfire?
Maybe a few of you out there are saying, “What’s the big deal? Won’t a fire go out on its own once I stop feeding it wood?” Well, it’s not that simple. All it takes is a slight breeze to send burning embers outside the fire ring, potentially to ignite other fuel and kick off an uncontrolled blaze: the makings of a wildfire. A distressing proportion of wildland fires in the U.S. (and elsewhere) are caused by neglectful campers who failed to extinguish their campfires thoroughly. Fuel — dry leaves or conifer needles, say — can also blow into a coal bed and start burning. And a smoldering fire is undoubtedly capable of simply creeping out of a fire ring and spreading amid duff and other organic ground-covers — even spreading as a subsurface soil-based fire. You’d be surprised how long seemingly dead coals or hot ashes can remain live to some degree, capable of glowing back into life with a bit of airflow.
For the same safety reasons, it’s also important to put out your backyard fire. Windblown sparks, after all, could end up setting your home or other structures aflame.
How to Put Out a Campfire
You should always have water on hand when you have a campfire, and ideally, a shovel and a bucket. Some folks just pile dirt over the flames or embers, but that’s not sufficient: not only can soil serve to insulate coals and keep them alive, but also may contain flammable organic matter. Spread out the coals and any remaining smoldering wood to expose as much of the combusting material. Douse the fire thoroughly with water, use the shovel (or some other implement) to mix the damp ash, expose any still-live embers, and pour on more water. Do this until the ashes are cool enough to touch.
Using the Walden Legacy Series Fire Pit Snuffer Lid to Extinguish Your Backyard Fire
We’ve made it downright hassle-free to put out that rip-roaring fire of yours in one of our Walden Fire Pit Rings! Our steel, 30-inch Legacy Series Fire Pit Snuffer Lid fits perfectly over the fire pit to cut off the oxygen supply. Weighing only 17.5 pounds and sporting a Cool-Touch Handle and a side hook, the lid is easy to maneuver with one hand.
Bring your backyard fire to a safe and efficient close with our Walden Legacy Series Fire Pit Snuffer Lid!
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