Making Campfires Safe
Campfires are made at campsites to provide light, warmth and for cooking. It has become an integral part of camping. Campfires are places of joy, warmth and merry making. People come close together during a campfire and enjoy themselves around the fire.
The place for a campfire should be chosen carefully. As most of the camps are made in forest areas, the region surrounding the campfire area should be free from vegetation and should not contain any inflammable material within its near vicinity.
Usually timber is used as the fuel for making campfires. Artificial fuels are not normally used. Different traditions have different methods to make campfires. The arrangement of timbers and the construction of the site vary from different cultures. Lighting the fire can be done with a matchstick or with a lighter. Artificial fuel like gasoline can be used to ignite the fire in the initial stage if the wood available is damp and if the conditions are not favorable for natural ignition.
Campfire activities are of different types. Primarily from time immemorial campfires were used for cooking. There are a variety of food materials which are specially made during campfires. Campfires also serve as a venue for recreation. Various recreational activities are done during campfire meetings like singing, dancing story telling etc. There are various traditions associated with campfires. For example the scouts who make campfire will take the ashes from the fire and mix it with water and share it with their fellow members to mark the closing ceremony of a campfire. This emphasizes their brotherhood and harmony.
Campfires are places of joyous gatherings if properly dealt with, or else can turn to disaster if not safely monitored. Campfires should be made by taking precautions, as fire can go out of control anytime, anyplace. It can cause burns to individuals and it can spread rapidly and can cause larger losses. Huge forest fires have been a result of irresponsible campfire gatherings. It has lead to mass destruction of flora and fauna. Precautions should be taken and even the effect of natural elements like wind should be taken into account during a campfire. The remains of a campfire should be properly extinguished or else it can lead to disasters if left carelessly. The natural and most effective way to extinguish fire is to use water; sand can also be used to bring the fire under control.
