🔥 Always extinguish a campfire with soak, stir, soak — never bury it

The single most important rule of campfires across western North America is the same one wildfire crews repeat every season: soak it, stir it, soak...

The single most important rule of campfires across western North America is the same one wildfire crews repeat every season: soak it, stir it, soak it again. Pour water over the fire until the hissing stops, use a shovel or stick to break up the ashes and embers, then add more water and stir again until everything is cool to the touch. Cool means cool — if you cannot run a bare hand through the ashes, the fire is not out. Do not bury a campfire with dirt or sand. Buried embers can smoulder underground for hours or days, then re-emerge as a wildfire after you have driven home. Rain and snow do not put a campfire out either. Many of the largest holdover wildfires in North America were traced back to campfires the camper believed they had extinguished by burying or by a shower of rain. Always carry enough water to thoroughly drown a fire before you light it, and never leave a campfire unattended even briefly. Alberta, Parks Canada and the US Forest Service all publish the same protocol for a reason: it is the method that actually works, and it has prevented countless wildfires.

Source: Alberta — Campfire Safety

Last reviewed 2026-05-02.

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