You followed all the nessacery steps in BUILDING A FIRE and it’s going beautifully! Everybody has got a full belly. The guitar picker stopped pickin’. You are yawning because you had a long day. You can’t leave that fire unattended. How to put out your campfire? So who’s gonna sit around it all night?
HOW TO PUT OUT YOUR CAMPFIRE
Now keep in mind that if you are in your backyard using a proper fire containment system (BBQ, wood fired oven, kudu grill, fire pit, etc…) and that you are able to put a lid on it or use your garden hose then the recommendations below are not for you.
I will however recommend that you have at least one fire extinguisher on hand even in your backyard, at all times!
U.S. FOREST SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS
These tips are usefull, and in my opinion necessary, when you are on a campsite. But they also work in your backyard.
Here are the official recommendations from the US Forest Service:
When putting out your campfire:
- First, drown the campfire with water!
- Next, mix the ashes and embers with soil. Scrape all partially-burned sticks and logs to make sure all the hot embers are off them.
- Stir the embers after they are covered with water and make sure that everything is wet.
- Feel the coals, embers, and any partially-burned wood with your hands. Everything (including the rock fire ring) should be cool to the touch. Feel under the rocks to make sure no embers underneath.
- When you think you are done, take an extra minute and add more water.
- Finally, check the entire campsite for possible sparks or embers, because it only takes one to start a forest fire.
- Remember…if it is too hot to touch, it is too hot to leave.
Please take the time to completely put out your campfire, it could prevent a wildfire.
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| DROWN IT! | STIR IT! | FEEL IT! |
EXTINGUISH YOUR FIRE WITH SAND OR WATER?
Both methods have their pros and cons.
Water is great, but you have to have it on hand. In your backyard you have your garden hose. Campgrounds offering 3 services have the water close by but tent camping often does not!
The water will put out your fire but you need a lot of it! If there are logs left over in the pit, those logs will be completely soaked for any type of use the next day.
Sand is also great but much less available whetether it be your backyard or on a campground. The other thing I don’t like about sand is that you are pilling layer of sand every time you make a fire by the end of the week your pit is full!
SNUFFER OR METAL LID TO PUT OUT YOUR FIRE
This method is quite simple. The goal is to cut off all oxygen that helps the fire live.
A snuffer is a flat metal lid, usually round that you can place over your solid metal round pit. Most often have to buy them separately.
The lid works the same as the snuffer but better fitted to your fire pit dimensions.
This type of fire extinguishing system is in my opinion the best because it halts combustion and the fire slowly dies. The next day the inside of the pit is pretty much how you left it but cold.
WOOD BURNING OVEN
If you are lucky enough to have yourself a wood burning oven, or wood fired oven or wood fired pizza oven here is a general tip for putting out the fire.
Once you are done cooking with a wood fired oven and the oven is still a scorching 600℉. How do you put it out? Well you don’t!
These types of oven come with a permanent or removable door. If you have a big solid heavy cast iron door on hinges, just shut it.
If your pizza oven only has a thin metalic removable door. Do not completely block the opening with that door it could actually warp or even melt! Let the temperature of the oven decrease then place the door not completely pushed in so heat can still escape.