G'day,
This topic gets done over regularly I know but it is that time of the year again, and this is always important.
Something that sticks in my head from my last trip was when we were at the
Lambert Centre. Those of you who have been there know that there is lots of room for people to set up in seclusion, and that the ground is mostly dirt amongst the pockets of scrub.
Scattered throughout the area, I saw mounds of dirt, most at least a foot high. I assume these were campfire locations. My concern is that not only does this look bad but it may not actually be the safest way to leave a campfire.
A good fire is part and parcel of a
good camp, but so is safety and being "firewise" so the proper extinguishment of a
camp fire should not be taken lightly and especially sacrificed in favour of "getting away in good time."
As we know,
water in
the desert is precious and therefore must be managed carefully. But fires can be too, and need not take to much
water to help extiguish them. Fire can and should also be managed and planned. If I aim to get away reasonably early the next morning then I consider, do I need a fire in the morning? Can I just let the night one burn out and I will use an alternate method to boil the billy or shall I just rekindle a little fire? The thinner the fuel, the less cooling effort required, then as you are breaking
camp, the coals and ash can be cooling to a level where they either require no further cooling to be safe, or only a small splash/spray of
water or a visit from the male campers.
A fireplace left to look like no fireplace has been there should be cool enough for people to walk on. Kids may jump out of the car and onto a "mound" to play, and get burnt in the process as a tremendous amount of heat may have built up inside it.
Anyway, many schools of thought and different environments but the point of the post is simply one of reminding people to manage their fires, always keeping in mind what will be needed when breaking
camp. Leaving an obvious fireplace so that others may use the same location is not necessarily a good idea IMHO. Personal safety (especially kids) and bushfire risk is much more important.
cheers.