Bonfire Safety

11/2/2018 (Permalink)

Stay safe this fall with these bonfire tips.

Before starting the fire make sure the weather is good for a bonfire. Weather conditions that are too windy could create risks such as blowing sparks around.  Once the weather conditions are good you can light the fire. When lighting the fire, an accelerant should never be used. Using gas or lighter fluid could cause a loss of control of the fire. Start with lighting small crumbled paper pieces and small sticks. From there you can add larger pieces of wood. It never hurts to have a fire extinguisher nearby in case of any accidents. If you do not have a fire extinguisher, try keeping a hose handy or a bucket of sand. Sand will effectively put out a fire. Throughout the night there are a few things to keep an eye on. Look out for too much alcohol consumption, watch children trying to get too close, and monitor pets sneaking towards the fire. When the night is coming to an end and the fire has burned down, use a metal shovel to spread out the ashes so they can cool down faster. You can pour water or sand on the ashes to get rid of the remaining embers. Remove the ashes and place them in a designated metal can used for ash storage only.