Campfire Safety

Sunshine and blue skies make this time of year perfect for camping in California, but campfires can pose a serious fire threat if not handled responsibly. In this short video, CAL FIRE offers tips on how you can help prevent injury and lower the potential for starting a wildfire with your campfire.

[Gadgeteer]

Just when you think you are done putting out your fire after following the instructions in this video, a Leave No Trace enthusiast comes up to you and they ask you to re-scatter your rocks and cold ashes. Even after doing what they asked, if you scrapped away the grass down to the bare soil to build your 10 foot fire ring perimeter, the Leave No Trace enthusiast will still be upset that you disturbed the landscape and give you a scolding.

In short, there are two sets of rules, Cal Fire's rules and the Leave No Trace rules. Just use your best judgment to obey all the rules, if you want to stay out of trouble and not be harassed. So in the above scenario, it might have been best if you found a place with bare soil to start your campfire instead of shoveling grass out of the way.

[orangeofficer]

Cal Fire is an amazing fire department! Enjoying this video from Florida!

[KeyserTheRedBeard]

splendid content CAL FIRE TV. I killed the thumbs up on your video. Continue to keep up the good work.

[BigHugeYES]

Anyone else having problems with the website?

[rooroo]

Where do you get the breathing permits?

[BANANANNAK]

I don't like that this video gives instructions on how to create more rock rings. If you must have a fire, use an existing campsite that has a preexisting rock ring.

[glennmadsen]

So we can have a camp fire on our property all year?

[OutdooRx-zdfr]

cant get a permit because the embedded video wont play and send me to the quiz.

[Csubstrata]

I need a permit to use a portable stove in a wild? Only in california.

[antoniahall]

This is the worst video. You are encouraging people to build fire rings and destroy open areas by building fires there. No fire rings! Bring a container to build a fire in! Carry out your ash and disperse partially burned logs after they are dead out! This video encourages people to make our lands ugly with non-stop fire rings and partially burned fragments of logs.

[Anmatgreen]

Camper: has a campfire
California Gestapo: "Oi! You have a loicence for that?"