Fire Safety

Keeping your fire safe is the most important factor in your enjoyment of your campfire experience and of your Freedom Campfire Ring!

Whether you're a novice with fires or a campfire expert, the guidelines below will help you and your friends and loved ones stay safe. No matter what kind of fire container you’re using, please read this before you plan to camp. We at Freedom Campfire Ring believe that it never hurts to take a few easy precautions.

Mental Preparation
Fire Location
Fire Safety Habits

Mental Preparation: Fire Safety Attitude for a Safe and Great Campfire Experience
Before you start your fire, plan ahead to make the campfire environment safe for everyone involved. Be sure that everyone knows the safety precautions. Start by double-checking to see they have a Fire Safe Attitude.

Please quiz any children about what it means to stay safe around a fire.

Q: Is it okay to sit around a campfire singing songs and having fun?
A: Yes! Campfires are wonderful experiences to be enjoyed safely by everyone.

Q: Is it ever okay to play with fire?
A: No. When mistreated, fires can badly hurt people of all ages.

Q: Is it safe to be close to a fire when there are no adults present?
A: No. Only enjoy a campfire under adult supervision.

Q: What should you do if you see your toddler brother or sister, or another younger child, walking toward the campfire?
A: Make them move away from the fire, and tell an adult.

Q: What should you do if you see flames spreading outside of the campfire?
A: Tell an adult right away!

Q: Should you try to put out a fire that is spreading to dry grass?
A: No. You could be badly burned. Instead, tell an adult immediately.

Q: Is it safe to poke a stick into the fire and then run around with the lit stick?
A: No. You could burn yourself or someone else. You could even start a fast-spreading forest fire.

Q: Is it safe to leave your campsite and go home when there are still hot coals in your campfire?
A: No. All coals and embers need to be extinguished or made cold before leaving. Otherwise, a fire could start when no one is around.

Q: Is it okay to touch any part of the campfire container ever, even if you don't think there is a fire in it?
A: No. The campfire container gets very hot and will stay hot even with no fire in it. Touching it can badly burn you or your clothes.

Q: What should you do if a spark flies out of the fire?
A: If it landed somewhere other than the ground, like on chairs or clothes, ask an adult to brush it off onto the ground. Do not touch it with your hand. With shoes on, an adult should step on it to put it out.

Q: Is it safe to jump over a campfire or to "horse play" around it?
A: No. Any contact with the fire or with the heat rising off of it can cause bad burns.

Q: Is it okay to hold or play with the ax that the adults use to chop firewood?
A: No. Axes are not toys. They are very dangerous and need to be used and stored safely, and only ever by an adult.

Q: Is it okay to play with matches when no one is looking?
A: It is never okay to play with matches, even when adults are nearby.

Q: What is the most important part of fire safety?
A: Having a Fire Safe Attitude and being aware that although sitting around a campfire is fun, fire is never to be underestimated or taken lightly.

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Fire Location: Finding the Proper Location for a Safe and Great Campfire
Don't just think about convenience when selecting your campfire site; think about Safety too!

Here are six measures you should always take when situating your campfire, to keep both yourself and others safe:

1. Make sure to place your Freedom Campfire Ring, or any campfire ring or grill, out of the way of foot traffic. You don't want anyone tripping over it.
2. Place the container on as level an area of ground as possible. Injuries and property damage can result from a tipped fire container.
3. Remove any dry grass or leaves from under the fire container. The intense heat of the container will radiate downward and can cause materials to smolder or ignite.
4. Situate the container away from brush or other flammable vegetation. A 10-foot distance is usually adequate -- however, if conditions are windy, create a bigger safety zone or forego building a fire this time around. Your safety is more important!
5. Never use a Freedom Campfire Ring or any fire container in a closed-in area. All open flames require adequate ventilation. Using a campfire in a closed area such as a tent, cave, or any area indoors can result in serious injury or even death.
6. Provide ample room around the campfire, so that those enjoying it can move around safely. And that way, if the fire feels too hot for anyone’s personal comfort, they have room to move away from it. Please make your campfire space as large as possible.

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Fire Safety Habits: Proper Campfire Habits for a Safe and Great Time for All
The eleven habits below are ones you should take to heart for proper use of your Freedom Campfire Ring:

1. Never let children play with a campfire. Always provide proper supervision when children are present. You don't have to ban them from enjoying the campfire -- instead, use their natural fascination with it to teach them proper fire safety. You can let children help you place the wood for the fire and use that opportunity to stress the do's and don’ts of fire safety and fire etiquette.
   
2. Know your wood. The size and type of the wood you choose will have a great impact on your campfire, as well as on your safety. It is best to use wood that fits into the container well -- generally no more than 25 inches in length. Diameter of the wood is also important: a 3-inch diameter or less will help your wood burn more evenly, and thus prevent smoldering. Adding smaller pieces or lighter density wood will also help keep your fire burning brightly.
   
3. Don't overload your Freedom Campfire Ring. Though the container has been designed to withstand demanding campfires, it is best to regulate your campfire by keeping the fire to a moderate, steady flame. Bigger flames do not necessarily mean a warmer fire. What is the point of making a great big fire if the size of the flames make you feel like you have to stand far away from it? You will actually stay much warmer with a smaller fire that you can comfortably sit right around.
   
4. Respect your Freedom Campfire Ring and what it's intended to be used for. While in use, the container, stand, and even the ground under it can get very hot. This is because fire temperatures can exceed 1000° F. Even with the safety ring in place, be as careful as possible when building and enjoying your campfire.
   
5. Maintain your fire. Allowing your fire to smolder or not burn fully will result in excessive smoke. Pile up a fair amount of wood to build up a "critical mass" of coals and embers. This will make your task of maintaining the fire much easier. Feed wood into the fire at regular intervals, and make sure any wood already in your Freedom Campfire Ring is burning well. This will keep your fire at the best level for your enjoyment.
   
6. Be aware of flying sparks. Some types of wood are more prone to "snapping" than others. Provide adequate clearance away from items that could be damaged by sparks, such as tents, chairs, tables, and so forth. (However, finding a small burn hole in the jacket you're wearing to stay warm, is generally considered just part of the fun of camping.)
   
7. Never carry your container while in use. Remember the temperatures can reach over 1000° F. Your Freedom Campfire Ring comes equipped with a safety ring to prevent burns when someone walking past the container accidentally brushes against it; however, picking up the container while a fire is burning will most likely result in a burn injury. Do not remove the safety ring from the container. If the safety ring is lost, contact Freedom Campfire for a replacement.
   
8. Monitor the situation. What may seem like a campfire under control can easily change if no one is paying attention. Watch for changes in the environment, such as a sudden wind. Monitor activity around the campsite to prevent injury to someone not paying attention to his or her surroundings. Always keep a constant eye on children around the campfire.
   
9. Let your campfire burn down safely. It is usually acceptable to let the campfire burn itself out in the container overnight. Even with a light breeze, the embers will remain in the container and in the morning, the container will be cold and the embers will be burned up. Some campgrounds may ask that all fires be extinguished in the evening; follow the rules of the campsite. If you need to empty and cool down the container to transport it after a campfire, you can pour water onto the fire or embers. Be careful of the blast of hot steam that will rise up from the extinguished flames. Your Freedom Campfire Ring can withstand this procedure with minimal negative effects to the container. If possible, remove the lower grate carefully with a stick or wire before you pour water on the fire, but do not touch it with your hand. Remove any wet ashes from the container as soon as possible.
   
10. Plan ahead for how you'll dispose of any residual ashes from your fire. A number of hours are required to cool down the cinders left after a large campfire, and disposing of hot cinders can be very dangerous. Therefore, let the cinders cool adequately. Then, be a good friend to the environment; always dispose of the ashes according to your campsite's guidelines.
    
11. Empty all ashes and embers before starting a new fire. The space below the grate in your Freedom Campfire Ring must be completely clear to allow airflow to the base of the fire and let the ashes separate from the coals. Don't worry, though: there is plenty of room to accumulate ashes from a day's worth of burning. Just make sure to clean the container out every day and dispose of the ashes in a safe way that is also safe for the environment around you. Until you are sure that there are no more hot coals, you can dump the coals and ashes in a metal bucket if you want to start a new fire.

Remember: think safety. Have a Fire Safe attitude. If something seems dangerous, it probably is.

If you are aware of Fire Safety, you don’t need to be afraid.

Educate those around you!

Enjoy many worry-free, safe, and happy campfires!

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