Campfire Danger

Too right Lancie, and if camping there don't they need a permit ?
Not sure what they'd be charged with, but the need educating at the very least.
Hopefully they'll read the media story and get the message, along with other campers that weren't aware of this.

I am imagining the fire pit was a decent size, and deep, where those red hot coals stay burning like a slow combustion heater overnight, and even next day.
It takes a lot of water to extinquish those fires, but of course at beach camps there is a little bit of 'wet stuff' nearby that is perfect for the job, it would just take a dozen or more trips with a bucket to begin to get those coals out properly.

We were camped near Adelaide last year, was unseasonably hot, and the second day there was a fire ban implemented and the park closed . . . we'd intended staying another night and had a good deep campfire the previous night, I backed the truck up, opened up the water tank / pump hose on it and put at least 40lt on it, still steaming.

The local parks truck came by all the campsite fireplaces (20 or more as it was packed) with their water tanker and literally put 400lt or so on ours to put it out fully to their satisfaction.

When extinguishing those sorts of fires, be VERY careful of steam burns, or even a minor 'explosion' !!
When the water hits those deep coals it can instantly evaporate and can be quite violent in the results.

that was meant to be "not putting the campfire out properly"