Showing posts with label campfire. Show all posts

PREVENTING WILDFIRES DURING SUMMER RECREATION

NINE WILDFIRE PREVENTION FOR MOTORIZED RECREATIONISTS

By Del Albright, Retired Fire Chief

TO: ALL Summer Recreationists, especially my motorized/Jeep/OHV friends, please take heed of these wildfire prevention tips from our friends at ModernJeeper.

1. MUFFLERS/SPARK ARRESTORS: This should not be a question—equip your rig/Jeep the right way to avoid causing a wildfire with an inadvertent spark or blast of hot carbon from your muffler.

2. STAY ON THE TRAIL: Most trails are well used enough that it’s safe to travel without fear of starting a fire — if you stay on the trail (and make sure you adhere to #1 above). If you have to legally pull over, do not do it in a dry grassy area where hot pipes can ignite fuels.

3. TAKE CARE WITH CAMPFIRES: Western fire season restrictions usually curtail campfires, but if you are in an area where a small campfire is OK, FOLLOW all the rules of your fire permit and common sense that says avoid windy days, clear a big enough space around the campfire site, have water, shovel and even a fire extinguisher handy, and never leave a campfire unattended. Cool off (water) any unattended campfire you come across.

4. REPORT UNEXPLAINED SMOKE: If you see smoke off in the distance, report it. That means you should have radio/cell communications capable of letting you save the day.

5. OBEY LAND MANAGER RULES: If your USFS/BLM/State recreation area has fire restrictions, you should go out of your way to obey them — completely. Don’t try to “cheat” and just have a “little campfire” where it’s not allowed. You could be the next headline in the social media and press.

6. DO YOUR PART: If you live or have a cabin in the wildlands, do your part to clear your fire defense space, according to your local fire department. Do not let something spread from your property onto our recreational lands.

7. WELDING: It’s great that so many of us are handy with tools and welders for trail repairs. Heck, I have an under-hood welder in my Jeep at all times. BUT…welding starts a lot of fires. Use extreme caution and fire standby gear if you HAVE to weld. Clear an area. Put someone on fire watch. Have your shovel, fire extinguisher and water within reach.

8. SMOKING: Smoke in cleared areas or in your vehicle. Dispose of butts and smokes in a water cup or enclosed container.

9. FIREWORKS: Probably a no-no in almost all forested (and some desert) areas. They are just not a good idea, period, during fire season. Follow and obey all local laws and rules governing fireworks.

Feel free to share this around. HERE

Learn more about living with wildfire and preventing fires while enjoying the great outdoors from my book available on Amazon.

CAMPFIRE, COWBOY, & OFF-ROAD POETRY BY DEL

FROM TYPEWRITER TO TRAIL TALES

Off-Road, Campfire & Cowboy Poetry

by Del Albright

18 Original Poems and Song Lyrics by Del

By Del Albright, Sustainable Motorized Recreation Advocate

From Typewriter to Trail Tales.
I started writing about the outdoors before we had Google, blogs, or hashtags — just grit, a typewriter, and a deep love for the land. Forty years later, I’m still telling stories from the (Jeep) saddle, the trail, and behind the lens.

📸 Writer. Photographer. Jeep guy. Cowboy poet.
🛻 Still rolling. Still writing. Still wild.
🖋 Check out my latest works and follow the journey: delalbright.com

#TrailTales #CowboyPoetry #JeepAdventures #OutdoorWriter #DelAlbright #PublicLands #40YearsWriting #TypewriterToTrailTales

18 original campfire, cowboy poems and song lyrics by Del Albright covering Death Valley, four-wheeling, campfires, making yellow snow, mending fences, the Sierra Nevada mountains, running a trapline, the Great Depression, and more.

Get a copy (paperback or Kindle) on Amazon and have fun sharing around the campfire.

LINKS:

DEL'S BOOKS (LAND USE, WILDFIRE, DEATH VALLEY, COWBOY POETRY, AND MORE)

WEBSITE (HOME PAGE)

PINTEREST (BOOKS, ARTICLES, AND MORE)

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

DEL'S ARTICLES (LAND USE, LIFE, WILDFIRE, VOLUNTEERISM, AND MORE)

CAMPFIRES IN THE WEST

USE CARE WITH CAMPFIRES IN THE WEST

By Del Albright

First of all, follow ALL rules and regulations for your area when it comes to campfires. If they are banned/prohibited, find an alternative!

A simple browser search will tell you what is legal in your area. Type something like: "campfire restrictions eldorado national forest" to see the latest news.

If, and this time of year, that's a big if campfires are allowed, you will need a campfire permit on most federal and state lands. Usually, the permit will say things like:

TERMS OF THE PERMIT

Permittee agrees to the following:

Clear all flammable material away from the fire for a minimum of five feet in all directions to prevent escape of the fire. Meadows make poor campsite locations as you will destroy sections of the meadow with the campfire and the clearance.
Have a shovel available at the campfire site for preparing and extinguishing campfires.
Have a responsible person in attendance at all times. Leave the permit with that person and make sure they are aware of the terms of the permit.
Extinguish campfire with water, using the drown, stir, and feel method. If it is to hot to touch than the fire is not out and can re-ignite.

For motorized recreation friends, it's easy to bring a shovel and fire extinguisher that you can have handy by any fire. Please take care with fire -- only You.