As the weather continues to get warmer and warmer, bonfire season will soon be upon us. Sure, there’s nothing like gathering around a bonfire with friends and family bundled up on a cool summer night while enjoying the outdoors, but if proper safety precautions aren’t taken, that once seemingly peaceful and innocent bonfire could turn dangerous.
By not extinguishing a bonfire properly, you can not only potentially injure yourself or others, but also the fire could potentially spread creating a larger fire or a wildfire.
In fact, 2 million acres were burned and destroyed in 2015 from 58,916 wildfires all caused by humans, according to the Smokey Bear Wildfire Prevention campaign.
Don’t be another statistic. Avoid having to think of the what-if’s altogether by familiarizing yourself with proper safety guidelines for putting out bonfires.
How to Put Out a Bonfire
Here are a few easy-to-follow tips to keep in mind the next time you have a bonfire:
- Always be mindful of your personal safety when handling the bonfire. Be careful not to touch anything hot and use proper precautions not to get burned while putting the fire out.
- Until the hissing stops, drench the fire with as much water, dirt or sand is needed.
- Inspect the ash and bonfire site for any leftover sticks or logs. Stir everything together to make sure all embers have been extinguished.
- Give yourself a half an hour buffer between when you put out the fire and when you plan on leaving, allowing for time to make sure the fire is actually out. It’s best to follow one simple rule in terms of knowing when it’s OK to leave: “If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave,” according to a wildfire prevention campaign.
For more fire safety tips, visit Davis-Ulmer Fire Protection Systems.
Davis-Ulmer is your full-service fire protection contractor serving New York and surrounding states in the Northeast region of the United States.
