Mankind has been building cooking

fires since early times and since then has

learned a thing or two about conserving

fuel keeping their families safe and

maximizing the heat from a fire

Sometimes unfortunately modern man

forgets the most basic lessons of campfire safety

Building an efficient fire is preferable to

building a big fire Make sure that the wood

you use is dry and you will use less of it

Make sure there is a sufficient fuel break

around the fire Remove anything flammablemdash

from the area immediately adjacent to the fire

(that includes anything overhead) or move your

fire to a safer location

If you are thinking of building a fire and you

have another cooking source build your fire in

the evening for cooking warmth and ambience

Do you really need a fire in the middle of the

day in thirty degree weather

Page 1

Itrsquos that time of yearmdashcamping season

And when camping it seems imperative for

most campers to be immersed in smoke

listening to the crackle of burning logs

basking in the glow of campfire light and a

enjoying toasty campfire Having a campfire

is an experience that is almost a right of

passage for most British Columbians and

here in Coastal we want to enhance the

experience by providing information on how to have a

safe efficient campfire that any skilled camper would

be proud of

Different areas have differing rules about campfires

find out what jurisdiction you are camping in If you

are within the Coastal Fire Centre campfires are

currently permitted but that could change if the forest

continues to dry (Our prohibitions can be found at

bcwildfireca) If you are planning on camping in a

city municipal or regional district campfires may not

be allowed Rather than spoiling your camping

adventure with unanticipated disappointment or a

confrontation communicate with the park district or

park manager before you go

Think about the weather Welcome to the

Coast Find out if it will be rainy windy or

excessively hot and plan for it Having a

campfire in a place that is having gusty

winds may not be the best plan If itrsquos

excessively hot you may not want to cook on

a campfire during the day Maybe think

about bringing some sandwich fixings

Expecting rain Think about bringing some dry

firewood with youmdashat least to get the fire started

Know your obligations According to the Wildfire

Act a campfire can be no larger than half a metre by

half a metre in size you must have the means on hand

to put the fire out (at least 8 litres of water or a hand

tool) and you must attend it at all times Most

importantly you must put the fire out when you leave

the site If for some reason the fire escapes you must

attempt to put it out if possible or in the event you

cannot call for help In any event always report it to

5555 if your campfire escapes

Like fireflies embers fly from campfires constantly

They are easily seen at night but also are produced in

the daylight ndash theyrsquore just harder to see These little

sparks are pieces of wood ejected from the burning

woody debris and float upwards on the hot air column

generated by the campfire As they rise the air column

cools and they lose their lift and fall to the ground

often still hot and capable of starting a wildfire

Embers are also created by wildfires but the power

of the heated air column is much stronger and can

provide lift for larger pieces of burning debris like

pieces of small to large branches burnt off the trees

twigs and cones These burning brands can fly upwards

hundreds of metres then travel considerable distances

(up to 2 kilometers in some cases)

How far embers fall from their point of ignition

depends on wind In windy conditions campfire

embers can float up above treetop level and then be

blown sideways into the forest Wind acts the same as

blowing on a campfire to get it going ndash it keeps the

embers lit and hot as they fall

Monitoring and extinguishing campfires in windy

conditions is the responsibility of the individual that lit

the fire If you own the match you own the fire so take

care with your embers as well

Building a campfire can be an art or a trial by

fire Either way there are ways to increase your

chances for success

Work methodically Build your campfire in

layers

1) Tinder the small woody debris on the

bottom

2) Kindling small pieces of wood that is used

to light the fuel

3) Fuel is the larger pieces of wood that sustain

a campfire

Always arrange your tinder kindling and fuel

in a loose formation so that there is ample air

circulation

A fire needs three things oxygen fuel and heat

(just like a wildfire) You provide the spark

Teepee StylemdashThe teepee style is

excellent for producing heat Tin-

der is piled in the centre kindling

is arranged around it and then

small logs around that

As it burns the teepee can become

unstable and fall over

In 1817 a French chemist created what he called

ldquothe Ethereal Matchrdquo a piece of paper coated with a

compound of phosphorous that ignited when exposed

to air The paper was vacuum-sealed in a glass tube

called the ldquomatchrdquo which was ignited when the tube

was smashed

In 1826 John Walker an apothecary in Stockton-

on-Tees conducting an

experiment in his laboratory

stirred a mixture antimony

sulfide potassium chlorate

gum and starch with a wooden

stick and subsequently scraped

the stick on the stone floor of

the lab to remove a glob of the

solution that had dried on the end of it When the stick

burst into flames Walker realized he had created

something of interest and made several of the sticks

which he demonstrated for the amusement of friends

and colleagues One of the observers at a

demonstration in London was Samuel Jones

Jones realized the inventionrsquos commercial potential

set up a match business in London and cleverly named

his product ldquoLucifersrdquo The term persisted as slang in

the 20th Century Lucifers caught on and following

their introduction in London tobacco smoking of all

kinds greatly increased However the Lucifers were

unpredictable often giving off violent bursts of flame

and emitted an extremely noxious odor of sulfur

In 1830 French chemist Charles Sauria reformulated

the match to eliminate the foul odor and lengthen the

burning time He created phosphorous-based matches

that began to be manufactured in large quantities Match

factories (often utilizing child labor) and home match

factories (populated largely by women) began turning

out matches at an unprecedented rate Phosphorous

however is highly poisonous

A non-poisonous match using red rather than white

phosphorous was invented in the mid-1800s however it

was more expensive to produce Only gradually after

agitation and worker actions like the London Matchgirlrsquos

Strike in 1888 did governments pass legislation against

the use of white phosphorous which forced match

manufacturers to reform their dangerous product The

Diamond Match Company produced the first non-

poisonous match in the US and as a humanitarian

gesture forfeited patent rights allowing rival companies

to cheaply switch to non-poisonous match production

The safety match was invented in 1844 in Sweden by

Gustaf Eric Pasch improved on by Johan Edvard

Lundstroumlm and prevented unintentional combustion by

separating the reactive ingredients between the match

head and the striking surface

From httpmuseumofeverydaylifeorgexhibitions -

collectionscurrent-exhibitionshistory-of-the-match

Lean-tomdashBegin with a com-

pacted pile of tinder A long and

thick piece of kindling is driven

into the ground at an angle and

overhangs the tinder pile Small

pieces of kindling are leaned

against the larger angled stack

Log Cabin ndash Ideal for cooking

because it burns for a long period

of time It can support cookware

Also is the least vulnerable to

collapsing However due to poor

convection it takes longer to ignite

the larger fuel

Discard your

matches into the

fire pit as you light

your fire If you are

a smoker and use

matches discard

them in a water

bottle with a small

amount of water

brought along for

matches and butts

Page 2

Instead of s mores

try dipping

strawberries in

marshmallow

topping and roast

lightly over the

campfire

So how does a large wildfire start from

a campfire Wersquove heard a lot of stories

Some are true while some are myth

Unfortunately all are possible

There is the usual and most common

campfire being built in the wrong location

whether it is directly under a tree too

close to a tent or the debris around a

campfire and no rock or metal ring

around the fire

What people often donrsquot think about

ismdashis there a root below the space I would

like to locate my campfire If a campfire is built

on a root it can smolder then lay dormant

(holdover fire) until conditions cause the fire to

reignite See how to put out a campfire below

Some people look for shelter to build their

campfire as was the case of one fire in the

Coastal Fire Centre where a campfire was located

behind a pile of slash to block the wind and close

to a source of fuel to feed the fire

Building a campfire directly on shale

streambed rocks or concrete is not

advisable as the rock may crack or in cases

of really high heat explode

What do you use to start your campfire

Some amateurs use gas or oil to accelerate

a fire start or ignite it with a tiger torch

when all you really need is a match some

kindling and a little patience

But then there is the blazing marshmallow

being hurled into the brush by an

overexcited child Supervising children

around a campfire does not solely mean stopping

them from falling into the fire pit but teaching

them safety in the vicinity of the campfire

Another source of caution are grease or oil fires

while cooking on a camp stove These fires must

be smothered with a pot lid or doused generously

with salt or baking soda

Whatever the cause most campfire caused fires

are preventable with a little forethought and

caution

Page 3

Putting out your campfire is a duty and a

legal obligation not only as a responsible

camper but as a citizen of British Columbia

While most campers feel that they only

need to put a campfire out at the end of their

weekend or vacation it is not the case A

campfire must be monitored at all times and

campers must extinguish their fire whenever

they are absent from the site

Dousing a campfire is simple but like

lighting one takes time and attention First if

the fuel is piled within the circle push it over

and spread the burning wood ash or coals

within the pit Second pour water on the

remnants of the fire and stir If the fire steams

wait a minute then repeat Continue to add

water and stir until the coals ash andor

wood looks out then give it a little time

before adding more water and giving it

another stir This allows the water to

penetrate the ground and remove heat from

underground fuels Third if there is no more

hissing from water evaporating and no

embers appear place your hand above the

coals a few inches and feel for any heat If you

do not feel any heat place the back of your

hand on the coals and again feel for any

hotspots When fire crews perform this task

on a fire it is called coldtrailing Fourth if

there is no heat emitted from the fire then you

can declare your firemdashOUT

If however you still feel heat from the fire

continue to add water and stir and donrsquot leave

the site until the campfire is outmdashcompletely

OUT

Although Prevention is not overtly mentioned

in the Wildfire Management Branch Strategic

Plan 2012-2017 it is very much a part of the

WMB mandate

One of the Strategic Goals highlighted in the

plan is to establish lsquoEffective Partnerships and

Service Deliveryrsquo and within this goal is a

priority for the WMB is to lsquoensure that WMB

directions expectations and actions are clearly

communicated and understood both internally

and externallyrsquo WMBrsquos expectation is that the

people of BC can rely on them to do their best to

keep them safe from wildfire As a partner the

public is also expected to do their part by building

safe campfires not burning when prohibitions are

in place and by following the obligation of the

Wildfire Act and Regulation The FireSmart

program is another example of a partnership

between WMB and the public to encourage

responsible fuel management and wildfire risk

reduction by homeowners and communities on

private land

Another action highlighted within the plan is

to lsquoensure that BC communities are informed

and aware of wildfire risks mitigation strategies

and the WMBrsquos role and responsibilitiesrsquo

Informing the public of the risks and ways in

which to protect public safety are ingrained not

only in the strategic plan but in everything the

WMB stands for whether its fighting fires

advising the community of the dangers teaching

children about Smokey the Bear or writing about

campfire safety The WMB works in a variety of

ways to prevent wildfires and raise public

awareness of wildfire risk

V30216mdashLizzie Creek Fire Size 30 ha mapped

Location 28 km SE of Pemberton south of Lizzie

Creek Resources 40 crew 6 helicopters

This fire is now 20 contained It is on a steep slope in

heavy timber Despite the challenges fire fighters are

making steady progress on the fire

For more information on this fire go to bcwildfireca

If you are within the Coastal Fire Centre campfires

are currently permitted however that could change if

the weather continues to be hot and dry

At the Coastal Fire Centre we do not take enacting a

campfire prohibition lightly but we would like

everyone to remember that as the forest dries the risk

increases When Fire Operations considers putting a

campfire ban in place they take into account all the

science (Fire Weather Index Build Up Index and Fuel

Typing) the weather forecast and the number of fires

they are dealing with or anticipate as well as human

behaviour That is why we ask everyone to be

responsible take the time to think about what you are

doing and follow the rules

Our fire behaviour specialists are watching our

indices climb with every dry day and it is their

responsibility to put the safety of the BC public before

all other considerations The Coastal Fire Centre wishes

you a safe camping trip

SYNOPSIS A developing light and fairly dry

northwesterly flow maintains warm sunny and dry

conditions across the majority of the region today and

Saturday Some areas should see increasing

northwesterly winds Saturday afternoon as

strengthening upper winds begin to mix down to the

surface with daytime heating (more so on the

Mainland favouring upper elevations) A solid onshore

pressure gradient helps moderate humiditys throughout

much of the Island and coastal sections of the Mainland

today and Saturday Expect good recoveries at lower

elevations again tonight and Saturday night under

mainly clear skies (fair to good recoveries each night at

mid and upper elevations)

OUTLOOK The Fire Centre should be positioned

under a fairly dry west-northwesterly flow on Sunday

between an upper low over northwestern BC and a flat

upper ridge over western USA resulting in another

warmer than average day under mainly sunny skies

(temperatures inland in the high twenties and low

thirties with humiditys in the low to mid twenties) An

upper ridge may build northward over BC Monday and

Tuesday resulting in another couple of sunny days with

progressively warmer temperatures

6 TO 10 DAY The general idea is for continued

warmhot and dry weather to continue out to the end of

July

Page 4

Although Prevention is not overtly mentioned

in the Wildfire Management Branch Strategic

Plan 2012-2017 it is very much a part of the

WMB mandate

One of the Strategic Goals highlighted in the

plan is to establish lsquoEffective Partnerships and

Service Deliveryrsquo and within this goal is a

priority for the WMB is to lsquoensure that WMB

directions expectations and actions are clearly

communicated and understood both internally

and externallyrsquo WMBrsquos expectation is that the

people of BC can rely on them to do their best to

keep them safe from wildfire As a partner the

public is also expected to do their part by building

safe campfires not burning when prohibitions are

in place and by following the obligation of the

Wildfire Act and Regulation The FireSmart

program is another example of a partnership

between WMB and the public to encourage

responsible fuel management and wildfire risk

reduction by homeowners and communities on

private land

Another action highlighted within the plan is

to lsquoensure that BC communities are informed

and aware of wildfire risks mitigation strategies

and the WMBrsquos role and responsibilitiesrsquo

Informing the public of the risks and ways in

which to protect public safety are ingrained not

only in the strategic plan but in everything the

WMB stands for whether its fighting fires

advising the community of the dangers teaching

children about Smokey the Bear or writing about

campfire safety The WMB works in a variety of

ways to prevent wildfires and raise public

awareness of wildfire risk

V30216mdashLizzie Creek Fire Size 30 ha mapped

Location 28 km SE of Pemberton south of Lizzie

Creek Resources 40 crew 6 helicopters

This fire is now 20 contained It is on a steep slope in

heavy timber Despite the challenges fire fighters are

making steady progress on the fire

For more information on this fire go to bcwildfireca

If you are within the Coastal Fire Centre campfires

are currently permitted however that could change if

the weather continues to be hot and dry

At the Coastal Fire Centre we do not take enacting a

campfire prohibition lightly but we would like

everyone to remember that as the forest dries the risk

increases When Fire Operations considers putting a

campfire ban in place they take into account all the

science (Fire Weather Index Build Up Index and Fuel

Typing) the weather forecast and the number of fires

they are dealing with or anticipate as well as human

behaviour That is why we ask everyone to be

responsible take the time to think about what you are

doing and follow the rules

Our fire behaviour specialists are watching our

indices climb with every dry day and it is their

responsibility to put the safety of the BC public before

all other considerations The Coastal Fire Centre wishes

you a safe camping trip

SYNOPSIS A developing light and fairly dry

northwesterly flow maintains warm sunny and dry

conditions across the majority of the region today and

Saturday Some areas should see increasing

northwesterly winds Saturday afternoon as

strengthening upper winds begin to mix down to the

surface with daytime heating (more so on the

Mainland favouring upper elevations) A solid onshore

pressure gradient helps moderate humiditys throughout

much of the Island and coastal sections of the Mainland

today and Saturday Expect good recoveries at lower

elevations again tonight and Saturday night under

mainly clear skies (fair to good recoveries each night at

mid and upper elevations)

OUTLOOK The Fire Centre should be positioned

under a fairly dry west-northwesterly flow on Sunday

between an upper low over northwestern BC and a flat

upper ridge over western USA resulting in another

warmer than average day under mainly sunny skies

(temperatures inland in the high twenties and low

thirties with humiditys in the low to mid twenties) An

upper ridge may build northward over BC Monday and

Tuesday resulting in another couple of sunny days with

progressively warmer temperatures

6 TO 10 DAY The general idea is for continued

warmhot and dry weather to continue out to the end of

July

Page 4

Tarts On Fire Sticks

Ingredients

1 package refrigerated small biscuits (I used Pillsbury Jr Grands)

2 (21 oz) cans pie filling such as apple blueberry raspberry cherry

canned whipped cream

Special equipment Tarts On Fire Sticks httptartsonfirecomshop

Directions

Evenly wrap and mold 1 biscuit dough around the outside of the stainless steel cup of each Tarts On Fire Stick (no greasing neces-

sary) Roast over an open flame rotating frequently until golden brown (dont hold them over a smoky area or directly in the fire)

about 1 - 2 minutes Remove toasted biscuit from stainless steel cup (it should easily glide right off) fill with your favorite pie fill-

ing and top with whipped cream Easy as that

Or can you make your own lsquostickrsquo with a tomato paste can Any other ideas Let us know how they turn out

Chocolate Cake Baked in an

OrangemdashCut the tops off about

10 oranges and scoop out the

pulp Fill the oranges three-

quarters of the way with choco-

late cake batter (cake mix works

fine) then put the orange tops

back on and wrap each orange in aluminum foil Place di-

rectly onto the smoldering coals of the campfire avoiding

any intense flames and cook for about 30 minutes turning

once or twice

C a mp f i r e C h e r r y

CobblermdashEmpty two 21

-ounce cans of cherry pie

filling into the bottom of

a greased Dutch oven and

cover with Bisquick

shortcake batter Put the

lid on and place the pot

directly onto the smoldering coals of the campfire avoiding

any intense flames Cook for 30 minutes rotating every few

minutes

Bannock

Materials

one stick or dowel about 3 feet long and

approx 12Prime diameter (about the size of your

thumb thicker is better than thinner)

metal toasting forks donrsquot work well for this

not enough diameter Nor do ldquordquofallen-woodrdquo sticks they will catch fire before bread is done

1 can of refrigerated breadstick dough strips (like Pillsbury from

the dairy section)

Most cans of breadstick dough will have 12 breadstick dough strips and

you will need two strips per camper

You could also you biscuit dough instead just roll into a ldquosnakerdquo shape

(but the breadstick dough is better suited to this recipe)

Some butter and a cinnamon sugar mix

The basic steps (let each camper do their own)

1 Each young camper will need a sturdy stick (or dowel) If using a stick

trim the bark back about 8Prime from the tip of the stick (you want a clean

surface)

2 Starting at the tip of the stick pinch one end of strip of breadstick dough

onto the tip of the stick

3 Wrap the dough strip around the stick like a coil (see photo below) and

pinch the end of the last wrap onto the last wrap itself

4 Hold the wrapped end over the hot coals and slowly rotate the stick so

the dough browns but does not burn

Flames are NOT the best part of the fire to use They will burn the

dough before it can get done A good hot bed of coals is best Or the coals at the edge of a flaming campfire are second-best

When the dough is a nice golden brown ndash itrsquos done Now smear it

with some butter and roll it in a plate of cinnamon sugar and enjoy

Another fun way to apply the cinnamon sugar is with a lunch-bag

size paper bag Put the cinnamon sugar in the bag insert the bread end of the stick and tightly clench the mouth of the bag closed

around the stick Shake ndash Shake ndash Shake and voilarsquo ndash an instant

cinnamon sugar coating

Breakfast in a BagmdashLine the bottom of

paper bag with bacon Crack two eggs

and drop on top of the bacon Top with

two raw biscuits Fold the top of the bag

over a couple of times and put the bag on

the grate over the fire Fire should be

embers and not blazing This should be

monitored carefully The eggs are done

when the grease from the bacon is about

half way up the side of the bag

Rules Play at the picnic table next to your campfire All you need is small rocks to use as game pieces and

dice or some small pieces of paper with numbers written on them to help you around the board When you

get to the yes or no questions look over at your fire and answer the question Work your way around the

board and the first person to toast the marshmallow over the firemdashWINS