How to Build a Safe Bonfire

6/23/2022 (Permalink)

To build a safe bonfire, there are a few tips to remember. Building a bonfire is fun because you can tell ghost stories, make smores, roast hotdogs, and sing campfire songs. You just need to pile up dry wood in a safe place and light a match. Building a bonfire can be very fun, but it is important to remember that safety comes first.

Before you make your bonfire:  

• Make sure that bonfires are legal in your area, and during which times of year
• Contact your local fire department to see if there are any requirements for building an outdoor fire

Proper Bonfire supplies:

• Bricks or stone

• Tinder (newspaper, bark, needles, pine)
• Kindling: Kindle are larger sticks to be used for the fire
• Fuel: Logs will be used to keep the fire going for however long you please

How to build the fire:

1. Make a circle with bricks or stones. If you are considering making a permanent bonfire pit in your yard, consider digging a hole and bordering it with stone or bricks.
2. Stand the tinder up in a teepee shape in the center of the circle.
3. Make a teepee using the tinder, and be sure to leave gaps so that oxygen can escape. 
4. Add some fuel logs. Make sure they are parallel to each other on either side of the teepee. Repeat this process up to 5 times depending on how large you want your bonfire to be.
5. When the bonfire is set up, drop a match in the center of the teepee to get the fire started. Make sure the match is completely inside the teepee.