Wildfire Danger: Fire Bans and Safe Fire Sites
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What you will learn
- 1Explain why you check fire bans and fire danger with your grown-up before any fire
- 2Name the conditions that mean no fire today
- 3Choose a safe fire site and tell it from an unsafe one
- 4Describe what to do if you see a wildfire
Mini Lesson
A small campfire can turn into a wildfire in minutes when the land is dry and the wind is strong. Wildfires can spread faster than people can run and are very hard to stop. That is why a good survivor knows when NOT to make a fire. In this lesson you learn the checks your grown-up makes first, and how to tell a safe fire site from an unsafe one.
🌿 The Wild Way (check first: is a fire OK today?)
- CHECK THE RULES: many places have fire bans and fire danger ratings that change from day to day. Your grown-up checks the rules for that place and that day before any fire.
- A BAN MEANS NO: if fires are banned, there is no fire. The answer is the same even if you are cold or want to cook.
- DRY GRASS AND LEAVES: crunchy, brown grass and dry leaves catch a spark very easily.
- STRONG WIND: wind can carry sparks far away and push flames fast. On a windy day, no fire.
- A LONG DRY SPELL: after many days or weeks without rain, the whole forest can be ready to burn.
🌿 The Wild Way (if a fire is allowed, choose a safe site)
- USE AN EXISTING FIRE RING: where one is allowed, use the fire ring that is already there instead of making a new one.
- CLEAR A WIDE CIRCLE: clear the ground down to bare soil all around the fire, with no leaves, twigs or grass.
- AWAY FROM EVERYTHING: keep well away from tents, trees, overhanging branches, dry grass and your gear.
- KEEP IT SMALL: a small fire is easier to control and uses less wood.
- READY AND WATCHED: water and a shovel sit right beside the fire, and someone watches it the whole time. Never leave a fire.
- PUT IT OUT FULLY: drown it, stir it and feel for heat with the back of your hand, as you learned in Grade 4.
This is an ADULT lesson. Your grown-up checks the fire rules for that place and day, chooses the fire site and is in charge of every fire. If you ever see a wildfire or smoke that should not be there, tell the adult at once and stay with them. Follow your grown-up and the official advice for that place. The adult calls your local emergency number.
Words to know
wildfire
A fire that spreads out of control across grass, bushes or forest.
e.g. A tiny spark on a windy day can start a wildfire.
fire ban
A rule that says no fires are allowed in a place for a time.
e.g. There was a fire ban, so we ate a cold dinner.
fire danger
How likely it is that a fire will start and spread on a given day.
e.g. My grown-up checked the fire danger before the trip.
fire ring
A ring of stones or metal that marks a place made for a campfire.
e.g. We used the old fire ring instead of making a new one.
dry spell
A long time with little or no rain.
e.g. After the dry spell, the grass was brown and crunchy.
overhanging branch
A branch that hangs out over a spot from above.
e.g. We moved away from the overhanging branch before choosing the site.
🧠 Survivor’s Trick: before you even think about a fire, do the "three checks" with your grown-up: the RULES (is a fire allowed here today?), the WEATHER (is it windy or dry?) and the SITE (is there a ring or bare ground, far from anything that can burn?). If any check fails, there is no fire.
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