Safe Campfires and Camping

Transcription

1 RANGErs will be Able to: a. Name at least three reasons why planning ahead for a camping trip can help prevent wildfires; b. Demonstrate that they know how to set up a safe campsite; c. Identify and arrange the components of a safe and successful campfire; d. Demonstrate the correct method of extinguishing a campfire. Appropriate for ages 8-12 Overview: RANGERS review a checklist that they can use to help their parents or other adults prepare for a safe camping trip. Then they study a safe campsite illustration and learn the fire prevention rules that were followed when setting up the campsite. Rangers will build a model campfire that will burn safely, and then they will be expected to know exactly how to extinguish a campfire so that it is DEAD OUT. Background Information: People have been sitting around campfires since our ancestors hunted with clubs and wooden spears. Food was cooked and eaten around the fire, fire kept humans warm in cold climates and protected them from animals. Over time the campfire became a place to roast marshmallows, share stories, sing songs, and laugh. When they are built correctly, campfires are a fun part of camping. However, they can also pose danger to people and to forests. Before going camping, it is important to understand how to identify a safe location for a campfire, prepare a campfire site, control the size of a fire, and put a fire DEAD OUT. A campfire must be DEAD OUT before walking away, going to bed, or heading out to hike, fish, or hunt. A fire that is dead out will have no heat coming from the fire pit or the ashes. Here s how to put a fire DEAD OUT: D rown the fire with water. Make sure all embers, coals, and sticks are wet. objective Materials Needed: (copy, as needed) RANGER CUTOUT PAGES RANGER PAGES Scissors Pencils or pens S tir the fire area with a shovel, adding dirt to the extinguished fire. Add more water and stir again. B e sure all burning fuel has been extinguished and feels cool. Now the fire is DEAD OUT! From 2002 to 2006 in Oregon, campfires caused 700 wildfires on state and private forestlands, burning 12,291 acres and costing $2.5 million to suppress. The main problem with campfires is when they are LEFT UNATTENDED WHILE STILL BURNING OR SMOLDERING. Fires should never be left unattended, even for a few minutes. Abandoned campfires are the third highest cause of wildfires in Oregon. 5-1

2 Activity Sequence: Tell RANGERS they are going to work with the Three Ps - Planning, Preparation, and Prevention. 1. Planning is what one does before leaving on a camping trip, and what one does before ever lighting a campfire. Review Planning and Preparing for a Safe Camping Trip with RANGERS by reading the introductory remarks with them, and discussing each question they should ask to help their parents or other supervising adults plan for the trip. 2. Preparation is the knowledge and tools one takes along on the camping trip and the steps one takes to ensure a safe campsite. Preparation begins after planning is complete and one knows the fire danger conditions, camping regulations, and campfire rules. Preparation begins with the knowledge and the tools you will need to deal with those conditions and rules. Many campfires are restricted during high fire danger. Sometimes, campfires are banned. The last question in Planning and Preparing for a Safe Camping Trip emphasizes tools to take with you to ensure you will have a safe campsite and campfire. 3. Prevention is what one does to make sure their visits to the forest will not result in a wildfire from the moment they arrive in the forest until the moment they leave. Have RANGERS read the first part of Preventing Wildfires by Designing a Safe Camp and answer questions 1-3. Read the next two paragraphs as a group. Working as a group, have RANGERS study the safe camp drawing and make sure they all know the rules for safe camping. This will help them discover how to set up a safe camp. When all are finished, review the ten rules. 4. Distribute a set of the RANGER CUTOUT PAGES and scissors to each RANGER or group. Groups of two RANGERS work well for this activity. Have RANGERS cutout the campfire pieces. Tell them to clear a circle of space where they plan to build their campfire, and place their rocks around their pit in the center. This represents the 10foot area that you should clear and the fire pit you should dig when building a real campfire. Their job then is to arrange the parts of the campfire so that it will burn on its own after it is lit. The best way to build the model campfire is in two dimensions; that is, as though you were looking at the campfire from the side. This way, RANGERS will be able to show how to leave space between the campfire components so that oxygen can reach the fire. As the RANGERS work through their arrangement, help them to think the process through by posing the following questions: a. W hat are the rocks around the fire for? (Rocks are not flammable and help keep the fire contained, preventing sparks from igniting fuels outside the fire pit.) b. W hich fuels should be lit first? (Smaller fuels lose moisture more easily, so start with those. Newspaper that came from home would have the least moisture and should be lit first.) c. W hy is the space between the fuel types important? (Oxygen must be available for a fire to burn. Also, a stream of hot gasses will rise through spaces to heat the material above it.) (Answers are: 1-campfire rules, know before you go; 2-shady spot; 3-no low overhanging tree branches; 4-clear a 10-foot area; 5-small hole in the center, circled with rocks; 6-dry wood, small; 7-matches, food wrappers, plastic tarps and tents; 8-firefighting equipment; 9-leave; 10-DEAD OUT) 5-2

3 Additional Resources d. W hat fuels would be highest in the campfire? (The larger pieces should be on top because it takes more time for them to lose moisture, which is driven off by the heat from below.) parkproject/kids/skilz/ fire/fire.html Review Questions: 1. What would planning for a safe camping trip include? 2. What would preparation for a safe camping trip include? e. W ould you use all the fuel pieces available? (Not to begin with. The fire needs to start small so that it stays under control.) lovetheoutdoors.com/ camping/how_to_ Build_a_Campfire.htm 3. What prevention measures would you take as you set up, camp, and leave your campsite? nce everyone has finished arranging the campfire O pieces, review the questions above with the entire group and make sure they understand how fuel moisture content and arrangement of fuels makes a big difference on whether a fire will burn and burn safely! 4. What are the components of a safe campfire? 5. How should the components of a campfire be arranged so that it will burn safely? 6. What is the best method to extinguish a fire? 7. What are the Three P s? 5. Now that RANGERS understand how to build a safe campfire, it is important that they understand also how to put a campfire DEAD OUT. Repeat the phrase, Drown, stir, drown, and ask the RANGERS if they can explain what this means. Answer: Drown the fire with water. Make sure all embers, coals, and sticks are wet. Stir the fire area with a shovel, adding dirt to the extinguished fire. Add more water and stir again. Be sure all burning fuel has been extinguished and feels cool. 6. Finally, have RANGERS write the Three P s in the spaces provided on RANGER Page The answers are: Planning, Preparation and Prevention. 5-3

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6 o What are the camping and campfire rules where we are going? Camping can be fun and relaxing but only if: Campfires are often restricted during the summer and fall. This means you can t always build a campfire in certain locations. You can call or check a website to find out. The list of websites below will give you the information or phone numbers to call for that information. you plan before you go you prepare by taking the right camping gear and prevent wildfires by making your camp area safe Did you know that over a five-year period, careless campfires caused 527 wildfires in Oregon? A wildfire caused by your campfire is a tragedy you can prevent. These RANGER pages will help you and your family plan and set up a safe camp. ON PUBLIC LANDS Seasonal information U.S. Forest Service Lands: Latest News from National Forests in Oregon: Planning and Preparing for a Safe Camping Trip Help plan your next camping trip! Sometimes, adults get very busy and they have limited time to plan ahead. This checklist will help you help them. BEFORE you go camping, ask these questions : o Where are we going? If you are not familiar with the area, ask an adult to show you on a map where you will be going. Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests, Crooked River National Grasslands: shtml Fremont and Winema National Forests: Malheur National Forest: index.shtml Mt. Hood National Forest: Rogue River & Siskiyou National Forests: Siuslaw National Forest: Umatilla National Forest: shtml Umpqua National Forest: www. fs.fed.us/r6/umpqua/news/ Wallowa-Whitman National Forest: Willamette National Forest: events/news/2007newsarchives/index.shtml 5-6

7 Bureau of Land Management Lands (Pacific Northwest): Oregon Department of Forestry Protected Lands MODERATE: Fires can start from accidental causes, and HIGH: All small dead fuels (needles, twigs, leaves, tree limbs, VERY HIGH: Fires start easily and, immediately after ON PRIVATE LANDS Oregon Forest Industry Council (private timberlands) o Are any wildfires burning near where we are going or along our route? Find out by checking the following websites: etc.) ignite easily. Campfires are more likely to escape and spread rapidly. Color code is yellow. ignition, spread rapidly. Fires burning in light fuels may quickly spread into heavier fuels. Color code is orange. EXTREME: Fires start quickly, spread fast, and burn hot. All fires are dangerous and fires can quickly become unmanageable. Color code is red. National Interagency Fire Center: Northwest Interagency Coordination Center (for wildfires in Oregon and Washington: o What is the fire danger level in the area we are camping? You often see signs when entering national forests with an arrow showing the fire danger level. Here is what each level means: LOW: Fires don t ignite wind can greatly increase the rate that fires spread. Wood fires spread slowly to moderately fast. Color code is blue. easily from small pieces of burning wood or a match. A more intense heat source, such as lightning, may start fires. Fires will burn slowly in grass or smolder. Color code is green. o What should we take with us to be sure we are prepared to control a safe campfire in our camp? Basic safety equipment to control campfires includes: Shovel Axe Water Fire extinguisher F ully-charged cell phone to report fires or call for help Doing a little homework BEFORE YOU GO, and reminding adults to do the same, will make your camping trip more fun and relaxing! Know before you go! 5-7

8 Preventing Wildfires by Designing a Safe Camp Campfires can be wonderful. They can keep you warm, help cook your food, and make a campsite cheery and bright, but campfires must be built safely. Look at the drawing on this page. Do you think this is a safe campfire? Answer the following questions about the campfire by checking the boxes: 1. Does this campfire have a safe fire pit (Dug-out area lined with rocks or cement walls)? o Yes o No 2. Does this campfire have a 10-foot area around it cleared of fuels that could catch fire? o Yes o No 3. Do you see anything near the campfire that could easily catch fire? o Yes o No Usually campfires are only allowed at sites that have safe fire pits. These places are called improved sites, and they are the safest places to camp. No matter where you are going to camp a campground with improved campsites, or areas that do not have improved campsites the same safety rules apply. Complete the following activity to learn how to make your camp a safe camp. 5-8

9 Study the safe campsite pictured at right. There are ten rules for safe camping pictured on the drawing. Each is numbered. Study each one and see if you can complete the corresponding statements below. 1. Find out what the are where you are planning to camp. All national, state, county and private forest areas post current campfire rules on their website. You can also telephone to get the latest rule changes.! Fill-in Words and Phrases: 2. Camp in a away from dry logs, branches, bushes, needles, or leaves. 3. Make sure there are no Know before you go small wrappers, plastic tarps, and tents leave dry wood low overhanging tree branches away rocks clear a 10-foot area firefighting tools campfire rules DEAD OUT small pit in the center matches, food shady spot above the fire. 5-9

10 4. Use a shovel to of leaves, grass, roots and other material that might catch on fire. 7. Keep all objects that might burn, like,, away from the campfire. 5. Dig a of the cleared area and place a ring of around it. 8. Keep, like a shovel and a bucket, in a handy and safe place. 6. Cut short lengths of for the fire. A fire is the best and safest kind for cooking and staying warm. Store the extra wood 9. Never a campfire burning or smoldering even if you are going away only for a few minutes. from the campfire. 10. Drown, stir, and drown the campfire to make sure it is! 5-10

11 Build a Safe Campfire Putting Out the Fire Now that you know the rules for a safe campsite, you are ready to learn how to build a safe campfire. At the end of your camping trip, be sure that your campfire is DEAD OUT. Make sure there is no heat coming from the fire pit at all! Pour water on the fire, stir the ashes and coals with dirt, and drown it again until the fire pit is cold. Remember, the steps for putting out your campfire are: Building a campfire that will give warmth and not get out of control is part science and part caution. So, let s learn more about how to arrange a safe campfire so that fuels burn safely and successfully. Using the cutout pieces of large and small wood, leaves, needles, twigs, paper, and rocks, build a campfire that will burn on its own after it is lit with a match or lighter. You should have several cutout pieces that are shaped like this: The Three Ps of Safe Camping Are: P P 1. First, create a safe place for your campfire by building a ring of rocks around your pretend fire pit, and clearing the space around your campfire pit. 2. In the center of your pit, arrange the parts of the campfire so that it could easily be lit with a match or lighter and would burn on its own. P If you remember the three Ps and follow the nine rules of safe camping, your campfire will be safe, and you will not be the cause of a wildfire! 3. When you have finished, check with your teacher/leader to see how you did. 5-11