DO: Make Sure It’s Legal
Notify your local fire department of your plans and ask them for guidance concerning:
- Whether you need a permit,
- The minimum distance the bonfire can be from structures,
- Fire size restrictions,
- Whether brush can be burned, and
- If there are temporary burn bans in effect due to fire danger or air pollution.
“One phone call to the fire marshal’s office takes two minutes,” says fire and home safety expert Eugene Klimaszewski. “Otherwise, the consequence of burning without a permit on a restricted day is a fine, and if it gets away from you, it’s your liability.”
DO: Choose the Right Location
Look for a flat, open spot away from fences, barns, houses, trees and ground vegetation. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends keeping bonfires at least 25 feet from the house and other structures.
“That number isn’t arbitrary,” says Klimaszewski. “Radiant heat and drifting embers are what ignite a deck railing, a vinyl fence or the mulch bed against the house. Every ember that lands on a roof or in a gutter full of dry leaves is a coin flip. Most go out. The one that doesn’t becomes a structure fire.”
DON’T: Forget About the Smoke
Build the fire downwind of your home and close all windows and doors on the fire side, to prevent smoke from getting in.
“Even a small amount of smoke reaching an indoor smoke detector is enough to set it off,” says Klimaszewski. If you have a monitoring system, that could trigger a call to the fire department. “At best that’s an embarrassing conversation with the engine company. In towns that charge for repeat false alarms, that’s a bill on top of the embarrassment,” he says.
Pro-tip: If you have an older home, which isn’t airtight, put your alarm system on test mode or notify your monitoring company about your bonfire plans.
DON’T: Burn on Windy Days
Wind can carry embers up to a mile, which means a bonfire on a windy day can easily end with a wildfire or house fire. If your planned bonfire day turns out to be windy, reschedule it. And even if there isn’t a breeze, plan for one by clearing all debris from around the fire pit and building rocks or bricks up higher on the windy side, which protects the fire from the wind plus radiates heat toward you for extra warmth.
DO: Choose Wood Wisely
Kiln-dried wood is the best. Seasoned hardwoods like oak, cedar and hickory are particularly good because they burn cleaner, longer and hotter than soft woods like pine and aspen (though a little soft wood kindling makes starting a fire a lot easier).
Woods to avoid include:
- Alder, poplar and willow;
- Rotten, damp or moldy wood, which will create excessive smoke and popping embers;
- Driftwood, painted wood and treated wood, as the fumes are poisonous.
DON’T: Use Accelerants
Steer clear of gasoline or other accelerants, as they too often lead to burn injuries, out-of-control fires and noxious fumes. (One year, my neighbor used so much gasoline to start a bonfire that the resulting shock wave from the explosion knocked pictures off of people’s walls three blocks away).
“A lot of people think they can use gas or lighter fluid to get the fire started or revive it, but please never do that because the vapors can flash back and get everyone nearby,” says Henrichson. “Gasoline is particularly dangerous and should never be used to start or revive a fire.”
Pro-tip: If you struggling to start a fire, build up a good kindling base and use a campfire starter or small bit of tightly twisted newspaper. Ample kindling will help you get a hot coal-bed established, which will burn larger logs more effectively plus lessen smoke.
DON’T: Burn Anything Other than Wood
Avoid newspaper, cardboard and other paper products, which tend to break down into large flying embers. Also, never burn anything with adhesives, plastics and other chemicals. The health risks of this are obvious, but plastics and chemicals are hiding in many items you might not realize, including: dryer lint, food packaging with shiny ink, glossy magazines, pressed woods including butcher block, varnished furniture and clothing made with synthetic fibers.
DO: Keep Water Within Arm’s Reach
Before lighting the fire, set up a water source in case embers become a problem. That will also make it easier to put it out completely when you’re done. NFPA actually requires a hose, bucket or extinguisher be on hand for all recreational fires, and for fires to be attended at all times.
“A fire that’s left alone for ten minutes while everyone goes inside for more drinks is the one that ends up on the local news,” says Klimaszewski. “And an unattended fire that spreads is the homeowner’s liability, full stop.”
DO: Designate a Fire Supervisor
Assign someone to supervise the flames at all times to prevent the fire from getting out of control, and to keep kids and pets from standing too close. Equip the supervisor with proper protective clothing, including a fire-resistant glove, long-handled poker tool, shovel, closed-toe shoes and eye protection.
“The most common injuries I’ve seen are from people falling into the fire, and young children are vulnerable to this because they may want to play in the area where everyone is hanging out by the fire,” says Henrichson. “There should be a no-enter zone that is explained to children every single time, and the person tending the fire should not have any alcohol.”
DO: Pay Attention and Have a Plan
Watch for loose sleeves, blankets, boots and other combustibles that are too close to the fire. “Those fun marshmallow-roasting memories are great to make, but shaking a burning marshmallow can cause trouble, and if you use metal skewers, they can burn you too,” says Henrichson.
Also, know what to do beforehand if something ends up catching fire. “The old advice that we were told years ago is still true: stop, drop, and roll if your clothes catch fire,” says Henrichson. “Repeat this as necessary every time kids approach, because they don’t always know to stay back.”
DO: Put It Out Cold When You’re Done
Embers can easily reignite hours or even days later, so the best practice for putting out a bonfire is to drown it, stir the ashes, and then drown it again until everything is cold to the touch. Don’t cover embers with dirt, as that actually insulates them, leaving open the possibility for them to reignite if they’re uncovered by a stiff wind.
Pro-tip: Put ashes in a metal container with a lid, on a non-combustible surface, away from the house, garage and deck for several days before they go in the trash, says Klimaszewski. Never put them in a plastic bin or next to the house.
About the Experts
- Kevin Henrichson is a board-certified attorney and partner at Byrd Davis Alden & Henrichson, LLP, where he handles burn injury cases.
- Eugene Klimaszewski is founder and president of Mammoth Security Inc., a Connecticut fire alarm and security company which installs, inspects and monitors fire alarm systems, plus fields the false-alarm calls that come with bonfire season.
- Experts at the National Fire Protection Association also contributed to this article.
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