The Campfire Isn't Out When the Flames Disappear

There are plenty of photos from a good camping weekend.

The tent finally standing.

The cooler packed perfectly.

The lake at sunset.

Dinner over the fire.

Someone holding a marshmallow that is either beautifully toasted or completely on fire.

What almost nobody photographs?

The bucket of water being poured over the fire at the end of the night.

It isn't exactly the glamorous part of camping.

But this summer, there's a pretty good reason to give it more attention.

On August 19, Québec's wildfire protection agency, SOPFEU, reported that 50 forest fires had already been caused by campfires in 2026. Its prevention data has since risen to 52.

In an average year, about 60 forest fires in Québec are caused by campfires that were poorly extinguished or got out of control.

More than 50 fires.

From something millions of us have done.

Which makes this less of a wildfire story and more of a camping story.

Because one of the most important things you do around a campfire happens after everyone is finished enjoying it.

A Fire Doesn't Have to Have Flames to Still Be a Fire

Picture the end of the night.

The big flames disappeared a while ago.

What's left is a pile of grey ash, a few blackened logs and maybe a faint orange glow.

It looks finished.

That's exactly where the mistake can happen.

SOPFEU warns that embers left behind can reignite, particularly when wind picks up. A fire that appears to be out can come back to life hours after a camper has left the area.

That's because the hottest part of a fire isn't necessarily what you can see.

Heat can remain buried underneath ash and partially burned wood even after the visible flames are gone.

So when someone says:

"It's basically out."

Basically isn't quite good enough.

The Last Five Minutes of Your Campfire Matter

We are very good at preparing for camping.

We'll spend half an hour deciding which snacks to bring.

We'll check the weather three times.

We'll make sure everyone has a chair.

We'll bring enough ice to preserve the food through what feels like a minor apocalypse.

Putting out the fire properly deserves the same attention.

SOPFEU's instructions are refreshingly uncomplicated:

Pour plenty of water over the fire. Stir the ashes and embers. Add more water. Repeat until no source of heat remains.

That's it.

No special piece of outdoor gear.

No complicated technique.

Just water, attention and enough time to finish the job.

A Simple Campfire Rule to Remember

SOAK IT.

Use plenty of water, not just enough to knock down the remaining flames.

STIR IT.

Move the ashes and embers around so hidden hot spots are exposed.

SOAK IT AGAIN.

Add more water.

CHECK IT.

There should be no remaining source of heat.

THEN LEAVE.

Never leave a campfire unattended before it has been completely extinguished.

In Québec, regulations actually require people to remain on site until their fire is completely out.

The goal isn't to make your fire look extinguished.

It's to make sure there is nothing left that can start burning again.

But Campfire Safety Starts Before the Campfire

There's another habit that's easy to overlook:

Check whether you should be having a fire at all.

Just because a campground has a fire pit doesn't automatically mean conditions are right for using it that evening.

Fire danger changes.

Restrictions change.

Wind changes.

A perfectly reasonable campfire one weekend may be a terrible idea the next.

SOPFEU recommends checking the current fire-danger level and any provincial or municipal restrictions before lighting a campfire. It also advises against starting one when winds are above 20 km/h or when the fire danger is high to extreme.

This might be one of the easiest additions to your pre-camping routine:

Check the weather. Check the fire danger.

Both take a minute.

Bigger Isn't Better

There is an undeniable moment when somebody decides the campfire could use one more log.

Then another person adds one.

Then suddenly the peaceful little fire you started after dinner resembles something that could be seen from space.

For a safer campfire, SOPFEU recommends keeping it to a maximum of approximately one metre by one metre.

There's a practical reason for that.

A smaller fire is easier to supervise.

It's easier to control.

And perhaps most importantly at 11 p.m., when everyone wants to go to bed, it's easier to extinguish completely.

A campfire doesn't need to be enormous to be memorable.

Look Down Before You Light Up

Where the fire is burning matters too.

If there isn't already a designated fire pit, SOPFEU recommends a cleared, wind-protected location on a non-combustible surface such as sand, gravel or compacted soil, with nearby combustible material removed.

Think beyond the fire ring itself.

What's around it?

Dry grass?

Pine needles?

Dead leaves?

Twigs?

Low branches?

You don't need to be a wildfire expert to perform a thirty-second campsite inspection.

You just need to ask:

If a spark landed over there, what would happen?

That's a pretty useful question.

There's Another Item for the Camping Checklist

Most camping lists start with what we need to bring.

Tent.

Sleeping bags.

Food.

Water.

Cooler.

Bug spray.

Flashlights.

Maybe the increasingly complicated coffee setup we insist is absolutely necessary for "roughing it."

But perhaps the modern Canadian camping checklist should also include a few things we need to do.

Before lighting the fire:

Are fires permitted today?

While it's burning:

Is someone actually watching it?

Before going to bed:

Is it completely out?

Before driving away:

Did someone check it again?

Those questions don't take up any room in the car.

But they're worth bringing.

That's What Makes This Number So Frustrating — and Hopeful

More than 50 forest fires caused by campfires sounds discouraging.

But there's something important hidden inside that number.

These aren't events we are powerless against.

We can't stop lightning from striking a tree.

We can't control the weather.

But we can decide whether we walk away from glowing embers.

We can check the fire danger before striking a match.

We can keep water beside the fire.

We can skip the campfire on a windy night.

We can spend five extra minutes putting it out properly.

Sometimes protecting the outdoors isn't a grand gesture.

Sometimes it's incredibly boring.

It's stirring wet ashes at the end of the night while everyone else is already brushing their teeth.

And that's okay.

Leave the Campsite Ready for the Next Story

A good campsite collects memories.

Maybe somebody caught their first fish there.

Maybe a kid learned how to paddle.

Maybe dinner was slightly burned but everyone ate it anyway.

Maybe somebody stayed around the fire far later than planned because the conversation was too good to end.

Those are exactly the experiences that make us want to keep getting outside.

At Chilly Moose, that's what STAY OUT THERE means to us.

But staying out there also means taking care of the places that make those experiences possible.

So enjoy the campfire.

Cook over it.

Tell stories around it.

Toast something on it.

Take the photo.

And when the night is over, give the least exciting part of the campfire the attention it deserves.

Soak it. Stir it. Check it.

Then check it one more time.

Because the best sign of a great campfire isn't how big it burned.

It's that the only thing you leave behind is the memory of it.