Scouting and fires

 

Camp fires, patrol fires and individual fires are an essential part of happy scouting.

Scouting teaches you how to do this successfully and safely.

This briefing note gives you advice and Troop 130 regulations about fire safety on camp outs.

 

The Troop and Patrol structure

 

If you plan to prepare and light a fire, whether it is your own fire to cook a meal, a patrol fire or a troop camp fire, always ensure you have approval from your next level scout leader.

The BSA scout book provides guidance on fire preparation and safety. All scouts need to successfully complete the skills requirements to be allowed to prepare fires.

 

  1. TROOP  CAMP FIRE

 

The Troop Fire is a great way to end a days scouting.

 

Advice:

  • Plan the location carefully:
  1. Check the local rules: are fires allowed, is there a seasonal ban on fires?
  2. Avoid a situation where the surrounding ground may catch fire.
  3. Locate the camp fire where no overhanging trees or up-slope brush may catch fire.
  4. Check current wind values and positions and consider if these may change – fire embers can carry a long way and could ignite brush, tents or tarpaulins.
  5. Store extra fire fuel upwind from camp fires.
  6. Ensure the fire area is clear of logs or stones or other impediments, especially noting camp fires are usually held at night when ground vision is very limited.
  • Plan the fire carefully:
  1. Think through how the fire will ‘collapse’ once lit. Especially the use of nylon string to tie ‘tepee’ fires.
  2. Plan for an ‘internal’ collapse and avoid externsal collapse.
  3. Is the collapse area safe from seating area and inflammable materials?
  • Accelerants:
  1. The best fire accelerant is the correct use of tinder, kindling and dry wood fuel.
  2. For a more ‘dramatic’ effect, lighter fuel can be added to the fire before ignition.
  3. Slow burning wax or wood based ‘fire lighters’ can help ensure a successful camp fire start up, but should only be used if effective tinder solutions are not possible.
  4. Petrol is not advised as its explosive effect does not promote the effective starting of a fire and can destabilise the fire structure.
  • Lighting a Camp Fire:
  1. Camp fires can be lit manually, by lighter, match or ‘lighter stick’*, or by other designed methods such as ‘string and pipe’ or ‘fuse’ methods. *Lighter stick: A long stick with paper or cloth tip than can be lit and entered into a fire to reduce proximity between the fire and the person lighting the fire.
  2. If string and pipe method is used, it should not travel above people, in case of collapse.
  3. Avoid any possibility of petrol based accelerants on the hands or clothes of the person responsible for lighting the fire. When petrol based accelerants are used, a lighter stick is recommended.
  4. Ensure water is closely located to the camp fire in case of problems, and a spade or other implement to beat out fire spread is also available.

 

 

Regulation:

It is not allowed to:

  1. Take live wooden sticks out of a fire.
  2. Throw plastic, metal, aerosols or any combustible capsule on a camp fire.
  3. Light a camp fire prepared with petrol based accelerants manually, other than by ‘lighter stick’.
  4. Add any petrol based accelerant onto a live fire.
  5. Use a ‘string and pipe’ fire ignition directly over people.

 

 

  1. PATROL FIRES

 

Patrol fires are generally used for cooking. All the fire safety points regarding Troop Fires apply, but some additional advice below:

Advice:

  1. Limit the size of your fire for effectice cooking.
  2. Make sure you fire is planned to provide a stable base for cooking, by using stones, logs or metal racks.
  3. Keep pot handles outside the fire area to avoid burns.
  4. Use the ‘oven gloves’ in your patrol box when handling pots and pans over patrol fires.

 

Regulations:

As for Troop Fires.

 

 

  1. CAMPING GAS COOKING

Cooking is easy and more environmentally friendly on a camping gas cooker.

Advice:

  1. The key to safe camping gas cooking is stability. Make sure your cooker is on a solid and flat base.
  2. Make sure there is nothing close to the cooker that can catch alight.
  3. Make sure the patrol is aware of a lit cooker and avoid contact with the cooker platform, such as a Patrol table.

Regulation:

  1. Camping gas cookers can only be used outdoors and never lit in a tent.

 

 

  1. OTHER ADVICE AND REGULATIONS

 

Advice:

  1. Take care in clothing selection when attending camp outs, especially when live fires are involved. Some materials, such as nylon, burn more quickly and dangerously than others.

Regulation:

  1. To take personal responsibility for any form of fire lighting a scout must have passed, as a minimum, the Tenderfoot First Aid achievement and the Fireman Chip award.
  2. Lighting matches, candles, stoves or lighters is not allowed inside a tent.
  3. In ‘refuges’ follow local rules rules regarding matches, lighters and candles.

 

 

FIRES ARE A NATURAL PART OF SCOUTING, SO LEARN, PLAN ENJOY – AND DON’T PLAY WITH FIRE!

 

The regulations outlined above are mandatory for Troop 130. Any abuse of the regulations can lead to loss of status and rights.