To start a campfire, confirm fires are allowed, use an existing fire ring, and gather three sizes of fuel before you strike a match: tinder, kindling, and larger wood. Build a small teepee or log cabin lay, light the tinder from the upwind side, and feed it gradually. When you’re done, drown it, stir it, and feel for heat until everything is cold to the touch.
Step 1: Check Fire Rules and Bans Before You Go
Fire restrictions change often, sometimes daily during dry spells, and they vary by agency, county, and even campground.
Before your trip, check with whoever manages the land:
- National forests: the local USDA Forest Service ranger district office or website
- BLM land: the field office for that area
- National parks: the park’s current conditions or alerts page
- State parks and private campgrounds: the park office or campground host
Restrictions usually come in stages. A partial restriction might allow fires only in developed campground rings. A full ban may prohibit all open flames, including charcoal. Many areas still allow gas stoves with a shutoff valve during bans, but confirm that too. Check again when you arrive, since posted signs at the entrance or trailhead reflect the latest status.
Some places also require a campfire permit even when there’s no ban. California, for example, requires one for fires outside developed campgrounds on many public lands. If you’re heading there, see our California camping guide for the basics.
Step 2: Choose and Prepare Your Fire Site
Use an existing fire ring whenever possible
An established ring or metal fire pit is the best choice. It concentrates the impact in one spot, and it’s usually placed where fire is safest. In developed campgrounds, using the provided ring is often required.
If there’s no ring
Where rules allow a new fire, pick a spot that is:
- On bare mineral soil, sand, or gravel, not on grass, duff, or roots
- Well away from tents, trees, overhanging branches, and dry brush (at least 15 feet from tents and gear is a common guideline)
- Sheltered from strong wind
- Not against a large rock, which gets permanently scarred and blackened
Clear a circle of about 10 feet across down to bare dirt. Following Leave No Trace principles, keep the fire small and plan to scatter cool ashes and restore the spot before you leave.
Set up your safety kit first
Before lighting anything, place a full bucket of water (or a large water jug) and a shovel within arm’s reach.
Step 3: Gather Tinder, Kindling, and Fuel Wood
Every good fire uses three sizes of fuel. Gather all of it before you light the first match.
| Fuel type | Size | Examples | How much to gather |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tinder | Thinner than a matchstick | Dry grass, pine needles, birch bark, wood shavings, dryer lint, cotton balls with petroleum jelly | Two big handfuls |
| Kindling | Pencil to thumb thickness | Small dead twigs and split sticks | An armload |
| Fuel wood | Wrist to forearm thickness | Split firewood or dead, downed branches | Enough for the whole evening |
A few rules for gathering:
- Only use dead and downed wood. Never cut live trees or break branches off standing trees, dead or alive.
- Many campgrounds and parks prohibit gathering any wood at all. Check before you collect.
Step 4: Buy Firewood Locally and Don’t Move It
Firewood can carry invasive insects and tree diseases that kill forests. Pests like the emerald ash borer have spread to new areas partly because people carried firewood from home to camp. The eggs and larvae hide under the bark where you can’t see them.
The simple rule is to buy it where you burn it. Get firewood from the campground, a nearby store, or a local seller close to where you’re camping. Many states restrict or ban bringing firewood across state lines or from outside a certain distance, and some accept only certified heat treated wood. Check the rules for your destination and don’t take leftover wood home with you.
Step 5: Build Your Fire Lay
The structure matters because fire needs air. Pack the wood too tightly and it smothers; spread it too loosely and it can’t catch.
Teepee lay
The teepee is the easiest for beginners and catches quickly.
- Place a loose ball of tinder in the center of the ring.
- Lean small kindling sticks around it in a cone shape, tips touching at the top.
- Leave a gap on the upwind side so you can reach in and light the tinder.
- Add a second layer of slightly larger kindling around the first.
Once it’s burning well, lean fuel wood against the cone.
Log cabin lay
The log cabin burns longer and more evenly, and it makes a flat base that’s handy for cooking.
- Build a small teepee of tinder and kindling in the center.
- Place two pieces of fuel wood parallel on either side of it.
- Lay two more across the top, perpendicular to the first pair, like stacking a cabin.
- Repeat for three or four layers, using slightly smaller pieces as you go up.
Step 6: Light the Fire, Even in Wind or Damp Weather
Light the tinder at the base, on the upwind side, so the breeze pushes flame into the fuel rather than away from it. Long matches or a lighter work well. Keep a backup source in a waterproof bag, since matches fail when they get damp.
In windy conditions
- Use your body or a pack as a windbreak while lighting.
- Build the lay a little tighter so wind can’t scatter the tinder.
- Consider skipping the fire entirely in strong winds. Embers can travel a long way and start spot fires. Many fire restrictions are triggered by wind for exactly this reason.
In damp conditions
- Look for dead branches still hanging off the ground, which dry faster than wood lying on wet soil.
- Split larger wood to reach the dry interior.
- Carve thin shavings or feather sticks from dry inner wood for tinder.
- Bring a fire starter from home, such as commercial fire starter cubes or cotton balls coated in petroleum jelly. These burn for several minutes even when conditions are poor.
Never use gasoline, lantern fuel, or other accelerants to start or revive a campfire. They can flash and cause serious burns.
Step 7: Keep the Fire Going
Once the kindling is burning steadily, add fuel wood gradually, one or two pieces at a time. Add larger pieces only after the smaller ones are fully engaged.
- If the fire smokes heavily and struggles, it’s short on air or the wood is wet. Open up the structure a bit.
- Keep it small. A knee high fire gives plenty of warmth and light and is far easier to control.
Most important: never leave a fire unattended, even for a few minutes. Someone awake and nearby should be watching it at all times. If everyone is heading to bed or leaving camp, the fire gets fully extinguished first.
Step 8: Cook Over Your Campfire
Cooking over flames is tricky. Cooking over coals is easy.
- Let it burn down. Wait 30 to 45 minutes for a bed of glowing coals. Coals give steady, even heat without scorching.
- Make heat zones. Rake more coals to one side for high heat and fewer to the other for simmering.
- Use a grate. Many campground rings have one. Otherwise, a portable grill grate works well.
- Choose the right cookware. Cast iron handles direct heat best. Our guide to titanium pots vs aluminum explains which lightweight pots can take open flame.
- Bring gloves and long tongs. Pot handles and grates get extremely hot.
Step 9: Put It Out Completely: Drown, Stir, Feel, Repeat
A fire isn’t out just because the flames are gone. Buried coals can stay hot for many hours and reignite once wind picks up. Start the process at least 20 minutes before bed or before leaving camp.
- Let it burn down. Stop adding wood well ahead of time so it burns to ash.
- Drown it. Pour water slowly over all the embers, not just the red ones. Keep going until the hissing stops.
- Stir it. Use a shovel or stick to mix the ashes and embers with the water. Scrape any partly burned sticks to remove embers.
- Feel it. Hold the back of your hand close to the ashes. If you feel any warmth, it’s not out.
- Repeat. Add more water and stir again until everything is cool to the touch.
If water is scarce, mix in dirt or sand and stir thoroughly, but know that this is less reliable than water. Never simply bury a fire; it can smolder underground and escape later.
Campfire safety checklist
- Fire rules and bans checked with the managing agency
- Existing ring used, or a cleared spot on bare soil
- Water bucket and shovel within reach before lighting
- All three fuel sizes gathered in advance
- Firewood bought locally
- Fire kept small and never left unattended
- Drowned, stirred, and cold to the touch before leaving
What to Do When Fires Are Banned
A fire ban doesn’t have to ruin a trip. Try these alternatives:
- Camp stove: Gas stoves with an on and off valve are often still allowed. Confirm with the agency, and never run a stove inside a closed tent because of fire and carbon monoxide risk.
- Lanterns and string lights: They give the camp a warm glow for evenings. A good headlamp helps too; see our comparison of headlamps vs handheld flashlights and browse our lighting and power gear.
- Warm layers and a good sleeping bag: Without a fire to sit by, an insulated jacket and hat make evenings comfortable.
If you’re camping outside developed campgrounds, fire rules can be stricter. Our guide to dispersed camping in the USA covers what to expect.
FAQ
What’s the easiest campfire lay for beginners?
The teepee. It catches quickly, needs little skill, and burns hot. Switch to a log cabin lay when you want a longer, steadier fire or a flat base for cooking.
Can I bring firewood from home?
Usually you shouldn’t. Moving firewood spreads invasive pests, and many states restrict it. Buy firewood near your campsite or use certified heat treated wood where required.
How do I know when a campfire is really out?
When you can hold the back of your hand near the ashes and feel no heat, and everything you touch is cool. If you feel any warmth, add more water and stir again.
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