Campfire safety

[RGINN]

Interlaken wildfire by Twin Lakes over in Lake County has been burning for about a week now. 745 acres burned so far and it's 86% contained, with all pre-evacuation orders lifted. Upper lake is open but the lower lake is still closed off. It was started by an abandoned campfire that wasn't extinguished. I can't say anything good about people like that. They have no business being outdoors unsupervised I guess. In Colorado, campfires must be attended at all times. That means somebody physically present, awake, and not asleep in the tent, and fully extinguished when you leave the site. When burn bans are on, this is a big place, but authorities will attempt to check for campfires. I was camped in the SLV during a burn ban one time and BLM drove through my campsite 3 times that day just to see if I had a fire going, which I didn't.

 

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[tamrock]

There was a time you'd regularly see commercials reminding folks to properly extinguish those campfires.

 

[Chilli]

Yep, majority of our fires here are started by campfires not extinguished or dogs starting them. I smelt and saw smoke a number of yrs back on a 40c fireban day known as Black Saturday here which was a catastrophic fire.
I tracked it down and it was a campfire left burning. Idiots! Typically I carry water in my car and put it out and buried it.
Fire warning season when I go detecting I make sure I have multiple exit options. I have some favourite places I wont set foot in during summer as they are one way in and out.
Good reminder your post to keep safe. 👍

 

[pepperj]

Growing up in the mountains of BC we had strict rules regarding the use of even fireworks.

Selling, giving or setting off fireworks​

3 Except between October 24 and November 1 in any year, a person must not sell, give, fire or set off fireworks.

This law still applies to today.

Even working in the bush men were requested to roll their smokes instead of smoking "Machine made".
Burn bans ment no fires-period.
When the forests are bone dry it's a dangerous place to be in if a fire starts.
The loss of a dear friend/relative in 1985 while he was fighting a fire is a sobering event.

Reino Keski-Salmi – Larch Hills Nordic Society

 

[The Rebel]

There was a time you'd regularly see commercials reminding folks to properly extinguish those campfires.

Funny you mentioned that as l was just talking about this commercial to my wife yesterday.

 

[tamrock]

Funny you mentioned that as l was just talking about this commercial to my wife yesterday.

I just remember that little girl, saying "I love moky bear."

 

[RGINN]

Good job Chilli. I've extinguished a few unattended fires up here before. Bad thing for us here in Summit County, if all hell breaks loose and it's a mandatory evacuation, there's not that many ways out of here. The traffic jam of the century. By the way, I re-read your post a few times, but I don't get how dogs start fires.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Since we have worked tirelessly to eliminate fire from nature over the last 125 + years..we have a real mess in the woods.

Folks religious about protecting the environment object to the use of timber harvest to fix the situation. They would rather massive wildfires sweep the lands killing everything in its path, resulting in a massive area that is all the same age.

Wildlife flourishes with patches of differing age forest.

We have WAY too many trees in our forests compared to pre-historic times.

Native Americans have managed the land using fire. We are past the point of being able to do the same without major fuels reduction prior.

 

[tamrock]

Since we have worked tirelessly to eliminate fire from nature over the last 125 + years..we have a real mess in the woods.

Folks religious about protecting the environment object to the use of timber harvest to fix the situation. They would rather massive wildfires sweep the lands killing everything in its path, resulting in a massive area that is all the same age.

Wildlife flourishes with patches of differing age forest.

We have WAY too many trees in our forests compared to pre-historic times.

Native Americans have managed the land using fire. We are past the point of being able to do the same without major fuels reduction prior.

I often wondered why folks decide to build in dense pine forests. I also wonder why they feel the need to hold the electricity providers liable when it's those homes in these density forested areas that want these powerlines connected. The power company now where the Marshall fire occurred sends a text saying the power will be shut down during strong winds. My daughter lives in the area where she looses electricity when the high winds are forecasted. I get the text from the power company warning of the power outage, but they don't shut mine off.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

I often wondered why folks decide to build in dense pine forests. I also wonder why they feel the need to hold the electricity providers liable when it's those homes in these density forested areas that want these powerlines connected. The power company now where the Marshall fire occurred sends a text saying the power will be shut down during strong winds. My daughter lives in the area where she looses electricity when the high winds are forecasted. I get the text from the power company warning of the power outage, but they don't shut mine off.

Well in many cases, the USFS is to blame because they use the same “protectionism” policy on the federal lands that butt up directly to the community (who has no option to clear defensible spaces around their land because it is protected by the USFS).

I agree though that folks do not clear enough around their homes.

However, a century of mis-management of our public lands greatly contributes to these massive wind driven fire storms. I have seen the fire jump large rivers, then jump 10 acres of irrigated pasture, then incinerate defensible homes.

The initial photo in this thread is a prime example of grossly overgrown timber. Although it appears as if they may have backfired the upper slopes sometime recently. However you can see all the dead timber still stands.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Yep, majority of our fires here are started by campfires not extinguished or dogs starting them. I smelt and saw smoke a number of yrs back on a 40c fireban day known as Black Saturday here which was a catastrophic fire.
I tracked it down and it was a campfire left burning. Idiots! Typically I carry water in my car and put it out and buried it.
Fire warning season when I go detecting I make sure I have multiple exit options. I have some favourite places I wont set foot in during summer as they are one way in and out.
Good reminder your post to keep safe. 👍

How do the dogs start fires in your area?

 

[newnan man]

Fires have always been part of nature. Here in Florida they realized that decades ago and have regular prescribed burns. There are several plants and animals here that need burns to survive.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Fires have always been part of nature. Here in Florida they realized that decades ago and have regular prescribed burns. There are several plants and animals here that need burns to survive.

We have situations like this everywhere.
65,000 acre fire in 1955. Pine trees planted 1956-57. Very little forest management in the subsequent 66 years.

Of course it’s now bare dirt after a 60,000 acre fire (same footprint). 4 people dead. 185 structures lost.

It’s disgusting how much folks pay and how much they sacrifice in lost economy due to protectionism just to watch everything be lost including wildlife.

No individual accountable.