The fire danger will remain high over the holiday weekend as campers create additional fire risk with campfires.Campfires at established campgrounds in national forests are allowed throughout the season, but there are restrictions for areas outside of established campgrounds.
In the Tahoe Basin, those restrictions go into effect July 1, 2016. Restrictions for the Tahoe National Forest go into effect July 11, 2016. A campfire permit is required when starting a fire outside of an established campground.
"The weather is hotter. It is usually windier, but the main thing is that the fuels are a lot dryer," said Robert Hilfer and Engine Captain with the U.S. Forest Service.
Ahead of the holiday weekend the Forest Service is getting the word out about campfire safety. First, a campfire should be built in the right location. The provided metal rings at a campsite are an obvious spot, but there is more to it than that.
"A really good campfire spot would have five foot of good clearance around it and no overhanging limbs," said Hilfer.
Hilfer says having a clear area prevents hot ash from flying out of the fire and igniting something else.
The most common issues do not happen when a fire is actively burning, but when it has been improperly extinguished.
"There is a four-step method. Water, Dirt, Stir, and Feel," said Hilfer.
"I am just going to pour some of the water to extinguish the flames… I am going to take my shovel, reach in here and kinda mix and separate the logs and the burning material. You would want to use the back of your hand and just reach in and don't touch any of the material but just keep it above to feel for any heat and it is still really hot so we are going to add more water,” a Forest Service firefighter said as she showed us how to properly put out a fire. "You really want to make sure that you are drowning your campfire. (Make sure) that it is a real soupy mess. You really want to mix that water and the soil into whatever is still hot."
In the Tahoe Basin, those restrictions go into effect July 1, 2016. Restrictions for the Tahoe National Forest go into effect July 11, 2016. A campfire permit is required when starting a fire outside of an established campground.
"The weather is hotter. It is usually windier, but the main thing is that the fuels are a lot dryer," said Robert Hilfer and Engine Captain with the U.S. Forest Service.
Ahead of the holiday weekend the Forest Service is getting the word out about campfire safety. First, a campfire should be built in the right location. The provided metal rings at a campsite are an obvious spot, but there is more to it than that.
"A really good campfire spot would have five foot of good clearance around it and no overhanging limbs," said Hilfer.
Hilfer says having a clear area prevents hot ash from flying out of the fire and igniting something else.
The most common issues do not happen when a fire is actively burning, but when it has been improperly extinguished.
"There is a four-step method. Water, Dirt, Stir, and Feel," said Hilfer.
"I am just going to pour some of the water to extinguish the flames… I am going to take my shovel, reach in here and kinda mix and separate the logs and the burning material. You would want to use the back of your hand and just reach in and don't touch any of the material but just keep it above to feel for any heat and it is still really hot so we are going to add more water,” a Forest Service firefighter said as she showed us how to properly put out a fire. "You really want to make sure that you are drowning your campfire. (Make sure) that it is a real soupy mess. You really want to mix that water and the soil into whatever is still hot."
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