Information Booklet 2

NOTES:

Fire Lighting

Compiled For Cambridgeshire Scouts August 2013 Fire Types and Wood Qualities

ESSENTIALS Fire lighting is a fundamental skill in Scouting. It is vital for cooking, keep- ing warm and as a focal point for camp activities. As such, being able to prepare, light and maintain different sorts of fires is very important. It is equally important to know how to extinguish a fire and to clear a fireplace correctly.

Three elements are needed to make a fire: oxygen, heat and fuel. This is known as a fire triangle. Typically, wood is the fuel for a fire, oxygen is pro- vided by the air and the heat comes from a match or spark. If any of these elements are removed, the fire will go out.

Basic Rules :- 1 Ask permission from the farmer or Land Owner or Camp Warden if live fires are allowed. 2 If you are using Farmer's Land check to see if turfing will be all right, some Landowners may prefer you not to turf as animals can sometimes dig the fire up later - so remember Always take the farmer's advice. Different tinders – Practise fire lighting using different natural and artifi- 3 Decide where to light the fire - well away from tents, trees and hedges cial tinders such as birch bark, dry grass, tinder sticks, feather sticks or which might also catch fire. cotton wool balls coated in petroleum jelly. 4 You do not want the grass to catch fire, so lift enough turf (about eight centimetres thick so the roots are not destroyed) to give a patch of bare Different fire lays – Explore the different ways to structure a fire for differ- ground for the fire with a good gap around it. ent purposes. This could include tipi fires, stacks, star fires, long log fires 5 Keep the turf in a cool damp place so that you can put it back when and so on. you have finished.

6 If the turf must be kept for more than a day or two, store it upside-down Backwoods cooking – Practise fire lighting for cooking. Remember, you’ll with the roots on top and keep it well watered. need to light your fire well in advance to create cooking embers. 7 REMEMBER - When you leave no one must be aware that you had a

fire, so clear up and no visible signs must show.

Cutting Turf. Long Term Storage.

GOOD PRACTICE  Consider whether it is appropriate to light a fire. If conditions are particularly hot and dry, or if you are camping in an area with underground root systems or peaty soil, then the risks may outweigh the benefits.  Preparation is vital. Collect plenty of dead, dry wood. This will typically be found off the ground, hung up in branches, but if it has rained recently, look under bushes and trees.  Feed the fire, don’t smother it, and pay particular attention in the early stages.  Replenish fuel frequently as needed. Add fuel in handfuls rather than one stick at a time.  If you struggle to light your fire use natural tinder such as birch bark to take the initial spark or flame.  Cook over embers, not over flames, as it is these that produce sustained heat.  Always return fire sites to their original state, leaving no trace that you have been there.

Different sources of ignition – Investigate and learn how to use methods other than matches and lighters to start fires. Fire can be created by friction, by percussion, or by solar, electrical and chemical methods.

You may wish to try making fire by percussion (striking materials to create a spark) using traditional flints and steels, fire pistons or ferrocerium rods (‘fire steels’). Fire by friction includes the bow drill and fire plough techniques.

Solar fires are created by focusing the sun’s rays using a lens or mirror. Try making an improvised mirror by polishing the bottom of a coke can with chocolate or toothpaste.

SAFETY GUIDELINES SUMMARISE…  Stay calm when lighting fires, and no matter what happens, do not What? This activity checks understanding of the skills taught in the lesson. panic How? A good way to do this is to have a pre-printed series of photographs (or  Never use paraffin, petrol or methylated sprits to light or revive a a slideshow on a laptop) showing the area before your session started. Ask fire participants to stand in the same place as the photo was taken and compare  Chose the site of your fire with care, and never light a fire on peat, the two views – before and after. Does it look the same? Using this evidence or in areas with underground root systems or low branches they should fix what they can. They should acknowledge anything they can’t  Never leave a fire unattended. fix and explain how they would lessen this impact next time they light a fire.  Never underestimate the potential reach of a fire or the strength of the wind.  Ensure you can extinguish a fire quickly in case of emergency. TAKING IT FURTHER... Keep either a bucket or water, fire beaters or a pile of earth and You could create lessons to cover some of the following topics: shovel close at hand.  Carry firelighters and waterproof matches, a fire steel or lighter to use in case of emergency. Play a True or False quiz. Sample statements:  Keep long hair tied back when lighting fires.  ‘It is a good idea to carry paraffin or meths in case the fire won’t light.’ [FALSE] For the wood and kindling to burn they need oxygen, but too much wind  ‘You should pile on as much wood as possible once there is a reason- can blow out a small flame. Watch carefully and shield it from strong able flame.’ [FALSE] winds. Blow gently to help the flames spread.  ‘Three elements are needed to light a fire: fuel, oxygen and heat.’ [TRUE] Once the fire is alight, put a few larger pieces of wood at the end of it  ‘It is a good idea to light your fire under overhanging trees in case it where the wind blows the flame on to them. When they are well alight, add rains.’ [FALSE] more wood to the other end. The fire will be hottest and best for cooking when the wood has burnt for a while and has red and glowing embers rather than flames. When you add more wood aim to keep at least one part of the fire just right for cooking on

Extinguishing Fires.

The most important part of tending a campfire is what happens to it when you have finished using it. If you properly extinguish the flames and dispose of the ashes and firelay, you can leave the area certain you’ve done nothing to harm the land. one can light the tinder from one match, or from their first flint strike. Once Put out a fire by sprinkling it with plenty of water, stirring the embers to they have achieved this you may permit them to build a larger fire. moisten them thoroughly. Do not stop until the remains of your fire pass the cold - out test, which means you can safely run your hands through SUMMARISE… the extinguished ashes. What? This activity checks understanding of the skills taught in the lesson. How? A great activity for this would be a relay race where participants After the fire is dead out, crush the ashes, mix them with the mineral soil have to race up to the fire area, light a ball of tinder and race back. The of the firelay and return the soil to the pit from which it was dug. In next participant then has to race up and add kindling before the tinder established, frequently used campsites, you can leave a neat pile of goes out and so on, until they have built a fire. This is also a good tool to firewood for the next campers to use, but everywhere else you’ll want to reinforce the idea that once fuel is on the fire it should be left rather than scatter your firewood over a wide area to help remove every sign of your fiddled with. Alternatively, teams could race to make a cup of tea, using camp. Finally, replace any ground cover you disturbed, and do whatever the fire to boil the water. else you can to return the fire site to the condition in which you found it.

LESSON 4 Larger types of Fire Extinguishing and clearing up after a fire (20 minutes) INTRODUCE… What? That fires need to be extinguished properly and carefully, and fire sites need to be returned to their original state. How? Ask the group what they think needs to happen when you are leaving the fire and why. What should happen at the end of the camp? It is useful to have some photos of forest fires, and/or picturesque locations scarred by camp fires.

DEMONSTRATE… What? How a fire is extinguished correctly. How? Using your demonstration fire, show the group how to extinguish a fire – either by dousing or smothering, then spreading the embers to cool. Follow up with questions about why you extinguished the fire in this way.

EXPLAIN… What? How to return a site to its original state and the standards you ex- pect. How? Explain the principle of ‘leave no trace’ or ‘take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints’. Give the group some expectations of what you would like this area to look like when you have finished. APPLY… What? This activity consolidates the learning from earlier in the lesson. How? Teams now extinguish their fires and return the fire area to its original condition, ensuring that they leave no trace.

APPLY… What? This activity consolidates the learning from earlier in the lesson. How? Split the group into small teams and give each team 20 minutes to set up their own fire area and collect fuel. This can be a race, with prizes for the team that makes the fastest progress or collects the best wood pile.

SUMMARISE… What? This activity checks understanding of the skills taught in the lesson. How? As a group, move around each team’s fire area and ask them to explain what they have done, with the other teams giving feedback. A good method for this would be ‘two stars and a wish’, where each group comes up with two positive things to comment on, and one thing that they would im- prove. LESSON 3 Laying & Lighting a Fire (30 minutes)

Wood Burning Guide INTRODUCE… All wood burns better if it has been seasoned. In simple terms, the word What? The principles of fire lighting. ‘seasoned’ means ‘dry’ and the term ‘green’ means ‘freshly cut from a liv- How? Ask the group to sit in a horseshoe around your fire area. Introduce ing tree’. The general rule is the drier the wood, the better. However, if a the concept of the fire triangle (oxygen, fuel, heat). You can use labelled fire is well built, most wood will burn unseasoned. cards to help with this, or use sticks to build a triangle on the floor.

EXCELLENT DEMONSTRATE… Ash – the best firewood, providing both heat and flame. Logs will burn What? Small-stick fire lighting. when green, while small branches make good kindling. How? Remember that good demonstrations allow people to take in information visually without having to listen to what you are saying. They also make Beech – very good firewood if well seasoned, producing sustained heat skills look obvious rather than easy, which might mean over-emphasizing and flame. It may give off a few sparks. your actions or changing your position/techniques to make the skill clearer to Blackthorn – this native hedgerow tree produces small logs but is one of the group, even if it’s not exactly how you would practise the skill yourself. the best woods, burning slowly with good heat and little smoke. Show the group how to create a flame and transfer it to the tinder so that the Hawthorn – another hedgerow tree that makes good firewood, burning tinder ignites. Use a match or a flint to do this. hot and slow. Even smaller branches are worth using. EXPLAIN… Oak – old, seasoned oak gives excellent heat and burns steadily. What? The steps you took to light the fire. How? Repeat your demonstration but, this time, explain each step as you do GOOD it. Show the group how you are holding the match and explain why it is done Maple – good quality firewood. in a certain way. You might also add a small bundle of kindling to your tinder Sycamore – burns with a good flame and moderate heat. The thinner for this demonstration to show the group how the fire is established, and ex- branches of this tree make good kindling. plain how you would add further fuel. Cedar – good firewood if well seasoned, giving little flame but plenty of APPLY… sustained heat. This makes it a good option for a cooking fire. A cedar fire What? This activity consolidates the learning from earlier in the lesson. also has a pleasant smell. Thinner logs and branches will burn when How? In the same small teams as the previous lesson, ask the group to green. practise lighting a fire in their own fire areas. They should do this until every- APPLY… Birch – produces good heat and a bright flame, but burns quickly. Unsea- What? This activity consolidates the skills learned earlier in the session. soned birch will make an adequate fire if nothing else is available. Birch How? Ask the group to come up with their own set of safety rules, perhaps by bark also makes excellent tinder, even if damp, as it contains natural oils. asking small teams of participants to write rules on post-it notes before stick- Hornbeam – good firewood that produces a hot, slow-burning fire. ing them to a wall or display board. They can then move to other teams’ walls or displays to pick out the rules they agree with/think are important. Apple – burns slowly and steadily with good heat but little flame, and doesn’t tend to spark or spit. Like all fruit woods, it has a pleasant smell SUMMARISE… and adding a few pieces to a cooking fire gives an excellent flavour to What? This exercise checks understanding of the skills taught in the previous smoked foods. activity. Cherry – burns slowly with good heat and a pleasant scent. How? Display the safety post-it notes that were chosen together on a wall or Pear – another fruit wood that provides good heat and gives off a pleasant display board. Remove any duplicates to come up with a master set of rules. scent. Ask the teams to explain/justify why they made that rule. Plum – good heat and a pleasant scent. LESSON 2 Preparing to light a fire (30 minutes) Hazel – a good all-rounder but burns quickly. Smaller pieces make good kindling. INTRODUCE… FAIR What? Good fires need good preparation. Pine – burns with a bright flame and produces a pleasant scent, but often How? If possible draw on personal experience. This could be a short story or crackles and spits. Pine is a resinous wood, so it can be used to keep a anecdote about the trials and tribulations of trying to light a campfire with fire burning in wet weather. It also makes good kindling. damp wood, or lighting a fire which then went out for lack of fuel! Laurel – burns with a brilliant flame. DEMONSTRATE… Rhododendron – the thick old stems, being very tough, burn well. What? How a fire area is set up and what it should include. Plane – reasonable firewood that burns well, but can throw sparks if very How? In an appropriate location show the group your preparations for lighting dry. a fire. This should be a visual demonstration, so make a big show of clearing Elm – must be well seasoned due to its high moisture content. Burns potential fuel from the floor, marking your fire area with logs, having a fire slowly, giving constant heat, but can be smoky. bucket etc. You could turn this into an observation game, asking small groups Holly – burns well when seasoned, but very quickly when green. to note everything you do and report on their observations at the end of the demonstration. Score their responses. This feedback section is also an oppor- Walnut – not a common firewood, but burns with a distinctive scent. tunity for you to explain why you did certain things. Willow – must be well seasoned and burns quickly. Yew – dense, slow-growing softwood that burns slowly with a fierce heat. EXPLAIN… The scent is pleasant, but it can spit and spark on a campfire. What? What is needed to light the fire and how it should be prepared. How? Explain that some items are needed before you can light the fire, which POOR of course includes having something to burn (‘fuel’). Show the group exam- Douglas fir – well seasoned Douglas fir will burn slowly and produce ples of kindling and small fuel, and explain that it is important to make sure good heat, but in general it is unsuitable for a campfire as it gives little that the size of the fuel is appropriate for your fire. Also tell them where fuel flame and has a tendency to produce sparks. and kindling is typically found and how to check if it is dry or not. You can ex- Larch – if well seasoned it gives good heat but is liable to crackle and spit plain the ‘matchstick principle’ – i.e. matches burn because they are thin and excessively. dry, so your kindling should also be matchstick-thin and dry! Spruce – burns quickly and produces many sparks. Horse chestnut – good flame and heating power but considered poor fire- Training Others wood as it spits a lot. This provides practical ideas to help teach other volunteers and young peo- Sweet chestnut – burns when seasoned but spits continuously and ex- ple how to light fires safely and effectively. Training might take place infor- cessively, making it generally unsuitable for campfires. mally on camp, or more formally as part of a skills workshop or training course. Alder –burns quickly and produces little heat.

Lime – poor quality firewood. OBJECTIVES Poplar – burns very slowly and produces little heat. It makes poor fire- By the end of this session, participants will be able to: wood. 1. State the safety rules involved in fire lighting. Elder – burns quickly with plenty of smoke and produces little heat. 2. Prepare an area for lighting a fire

3. Lay and light a fire NOTES:- 4. Put out a fire and clear the area correctly.

EQUIPMENT

 Tinder, kindling & fuel  Matches, flints or other suitable ignition source

 Tools as appropriate e.g. spades

 Bucket of water, sand or fine soil

 Resources for running training activities as required.

LESSON 1 Fire Safety Rules (15 Minutes)

INTRODUCE… What? The topic of fires and the need to use them safely. How? Ask the group about any experiences they have of fire in the past. Where have they seen fire before? Ask them what fire might be used for and create a list – these could be good and bad things.

DEMONSTRATE… What? Some of the dangers of fire. How? This section requires a careful balance of material to develop a healthy respect for fire, without instilling fear or anxiety. Appropriate ways to cover this topic might be anecdotal evidence or YouTube videos showing a mixture of safe and unsafe fire use – possibly with news articles too.

EXPLAIN… What? How to use fire safely. How? Explain that with some basic rules we can use fire safely, effectively and as a tool to help us around camp. Introduce some of the basic safety rules (e.g. never leave a fire unattended).