Campfire safety

Before you light a fire

• Check for a fire ban every day. Bans change quickly in dry weather. They are set by the province, territory or state, by the park, and sometimes by the local fire department. A ban can cover campfires only, or all open flame including charcoal barbecues and tiki torches.
• Use the fire ring or pit provided. Do not build a new one. Keep the fire inside the ring.
• Clear the area. Keep at least 3 m (10 ft) clear around the ring: no tents, chairs, firewood piles, dry grass or low branches.
• Keep water and a tool beside the fire. A full bucket of water and a shovel. In British Columbia, campers must have at least 8 litres of water or a hand tool nearby for any campfire.
• Keep it small. British Columbia limits campfires to 0.5 m wide by 0.5 m high (about 20 in). A small fire is easier to control and to put out.
• Watch the wind. Do not light a fire in strong or gusty wind. Sparks can travel well beyond the ring.

While the fire burns

• Never leave a fire alone, even for a few minutes. Someone awake and sober stays with it.
• Never use gasoline, kerosene or other fuel to start or revive a fire. Use paper, kindling and fire starters.
• Burn only clean, dry wood. Do not burn garbage, plastic, foam, painted or treated wood, or aerosol cans. Cans and propane cylinders can explode.
• Keep children and pets at least 1 m (3 ft) back. Teach children to walk around the fire, never step over it, and to stop, drop and roll if their clothes catch fire.
• Use long roasting sticks. Loose sleeves, scarves and synthetic jackets catch fire easily.
• Alcohol and fires are a common cause of burns. Expect more risk late at night.

Putting the fire out: drown, stir, feel

1. Drown the fire with plenty of water. Pour slowly so steam does not burn you.
2. Stir the ashes and embers with a shovel or stick, and scrape partly burned logs.
3. Drown again, until the hissing stops.
4. Feel the ashes with the back of your hand held just above them. If it is too hot to touch, it is too hot to leave.

Do not bury a fire with soil. Buried coals can stay hot for many hours and spread underground to roots.

Firewood: buy it where you burn it

Moving firewood spreads tree-killing insects and diseases such as the emerald ash borer. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency restricts moving firewood out of some regulated areas, and many US states and parks ban firewood from outside the area. Buy or gather wood locally, as allowed by the campground.

Stoves, barbecues and propane

• Cook on a stable surface, away from tents and awnings.
• Store propane cylinders upright, outdoors, out of direct sun, with the valve closed. Never store them inside a tent or vehicle cab.
• Check hoses and fittings with soapy water. Bubbles mean a leak. Never use a flame to check.
• Let barbecue coals cool completely, then put them in a metal ash can or drown them. Never put hot coals in a garbage bin.
• Fire bans often still allow CSA- or UL-approved propane stoves and propane fire bowls. Check the wording of the ban.

Burn first aid

• Cool the burn under cool running water for at least 10 minutes. Do not use ice, butter or ointment.
• Remove rings, watches and tight clothing near the burn before it swells. Do not pull off clothing that is stuck to the skin.
• Cover loosely with a clean, non-stick dressing or plastic wrap.
• Call 911 for burns to the face, hands, feet, groin or a large area, for burns from chemicals or electricity, and for anyone who breathed in smoke.

If a fire escapes

• If it is small and you can do it safely, smother it with water or soil. If it is bigger than you can put out in a few seconds, get people away and call for help.
• British Columbia: call 1-800-663-5555, or *5555 on a cell phone.
• Alberta and Ontario: call 310-FIRE (310-3473).
• Everywhere else in Canada and the US: call 911.
• Say where it is, how big it is, what is burning, which way it is moving and whether anyone is in danger.

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General safety information for campground hosts, workers and campers in Canada and the US, compiled by CampHostJobs from Parks Canada, the US National Park Service, provincial, territorial and state agencies, and public health sources, October 2026. It does not replace training or the rules where you are. Always follow your employer, park staff and local officials. In an emergency, call 911.