Tips for Campfire Safety during your RV trip

Tips for Campfire Safety During your RV Trip

Temperatures are dropping, leaves are changing color, and the autumn air surrounds us. This is the perfect time of year to go RV camping with California RV rentals, and 1st Choice RV has you covered. Whether you want to explore the mighty Redwoods, awe-inspiring coastline, or head into the mountains for one last vacation before the snow starts to fly the wonders of California await. Of course, one of the most classic and enjoyable things to do while RV camping is to unplug, relax, and sit around the campfire. At this point, it is no secret that California and many of the western states have been suffering from historic wildfires. As such, it is critical that you know how to best manage your campfire while on your California RV rental road trip in order to maximize fun and minimize risk. Below are a handful of tips to help you do that as you prepare for your RV camping adventure.

Use Designated Fire Pits

Most campgrounds that you will be exploring will have designated areas to have a campfire. This could be a sheet metal ring, grill, or circle of rocks and no matter the form you should always use the area designated. They are designed to keep sparks and embers inside the pit and are typically located away from other hazards.

Keep an Eye on Burn Bans

While everyone wants to have a campfire, sometimes it just isn’t in the cards. California is still in a historic drought, and it is not out of the question that a fire ban could be in place while you are visiting. Please adhere to these bans, as they are put in place to prevent larger incidents from happening. Similarly, keep an eye on the weather. If it has been excessively hot and dry, it may not be the best idea to have a campfire – even if there isn’t a ban in place.

Only Burn What is Appropriate

Many folks think it is okay to put anything that can/will burn into the fire pit, and that’s simply not the case. At 1st Choice RV, we encourage our campers to purchase firewood from the campgrounds where they are staying instead of hauling non-native wood into foreign areas. Additionally, cutting branches and trees from around your campsite is also frowned upon as they contribute viable habitat to the surrounding forest and leaving obvious scars also creates an unwelcome eyesore for future campers. Finally, while you can burn paper and cardboard to get your fire started, we suggest leaving it at that. Throwing other items into the fire can release toxins into the air and may even burn in unpredictable ways creating a risk you may not be ready to manage.

Clean Up When You Are Done

One of the most critical aspects of fire safety is to conduct a thorough clean-up when finished. The first part of this task is to make sure your fire is completely out before calling it a night. The best way to do so is to keep a bucket of water near the fire and dump it over all of the flames and embers. Then, stir around the embers and ashes with a stick or shovel and pour even more water on top. When you are sure that the fire is out, do a clean sweep of the area as well – being mindful of any cans, trash, wrappers, food scraps, etc. leaving the area better than when you found it.

Sitting around a campfire is a critical part of the California RV rental experience, and the experts at 1st Choice are all for safe and responsible campfire fun. If you have any further questions or are ready to book your RV camping vacation, please give us a call. We’re always here for you!