The Bridger-Teton National Forest fire and fuels staff are advising National Forest visitors and particularly campers and hunters, to use caution when building and maintaining campfires. Attention throughout the fall should also be given to identifying other sources that could ignite a wildfire, such as discarded cigarettes or hot mufflers on vehicles parked in tall, dry grass.
Always make sure that campfires are thoroughly extinguished before leaving a fire unattended. This is effectively done by stirring coals and other burned materials with water until cool. Even if your fire is a relatively small warming fire, the fire should be dead out before you leave the site.
The number one culprit of human-caused fires that require the attention of Forest Service fire crews is escaped campfires which are not fully extinguished.
Even as the days become shorter and temperatures trend downward, there will still be multiple periods where warm, dry, or windy conditions could align with receptive fuels, creating potential for explosive wildfire development and growth.
Additional fire safety messages from the U.S. Forest Service to Forest recreationists are below. Hunters, campers, and other public land users need to follow basic fire safety rules:
- Scrape back dead grass and forest materials from your campfire site.
- Keep your campfire small and under control; make it only as big as you need it.
- Keep a shovel and a water container nearby to douse escaped embers.
- Do not park vehicles in tall dry grass, since hot tailpipes can cause fine fuels to catch on fire.
- Remember that any ignition – cigarettes, campfires, gunfire, vehicles – could be the cause of a wildland fire, as grass and other vegetation is dry and extremely flammable.
- Always follow current fire restrictions.
- Fireworks are not allowed on federal lands.
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