Fire Policy

A campfire is an important part of the Forest School and is often, though not always, used in a session. It provides a central communal focus, particularly during times of sharing and reviewing; stimulates the senses (watching flames dance, listening to wood crackling, smelling fuel burning, feeling its warmth); and is essential for cooking and providing hot water. With appropriate instruction fires can be used safely with little risk to anyone’s health.

All visitors to the site will be made aware from their first visit of the importance of walking around, not through, the fire circle unless invited to do so by a Forest School leader.

Participants will be taught important life skills: preparation of the area; building and managing the fire; fire respect and appropriate behaviour; and, the responsibility to self-assess risk.

Before

· The fire circle is made free of debris, including leaf litter and trip hazards and overhanging objects

· The fire circle is a minimum of 1.5m from the fire pit with easily accessible exit points

· The fire pit is enclosed by 2 perimeters of logs (inner being green logs)

· Fires are not lit in extremely dry or extremely windy weather

· Safety equipment is present and visible (bucket of water, burns kit, first aid kit, fire blanket, fire gloves/gauntlets)

During

· Forest School leader maintains responsibility for lighting and maintaining the fire

· Participants receive safety talk and demonstration, including walking around the fire circle – not through it, the position of respect (one knee), entering the fire circle with invitation only, hair tied back, and jackets zipped, and safe use of fire steels.

· Fires are not left unattended

· Flames are kept to approximately knee height

· Seating in line of smoke when there is a clear wind direction is to be avoided. If the wind changes direction participants turn their head to one side and put their hand over their eyes and count to 10 or move back and around to another position.

· ‘Tiny’ fires (using a small piece of cotton wool) are allowed on the fire circle seats/logs when participants practice making fire with fire steels. Participants are shown how to extinguish these small fires by stamping them out.

· Small fist-sized fires allowed on the logs adjacent to the shed as part of an adult-directed and supervised activity. These are extinguished with water.

· Participants are not permitted to throw anything onto the fire

· No flammable liquids or plastics are to be used on the fire

· Participants may add fuel to the fire with 1:1 adult supervision. Hands must never go over the fire. Fuel must be added from the side.

After

· At the end of the session the fuels should preferably be burnt to ash. The fire must be fully extinguished and stirred with water until no embers, smoke or steam remain.

 Fire knowledge

· Participants should be taught the fire triangle: fuel, oxygen, heat/ignition

· Lighting techniques include using fire steels (dragon’s breath), matches/lighter, bow drill, hand drill

· Wax shaving fire-starters or Vaseline on cotton wool (adult supervision) may be used to assist lighting fires

· Fuel consists of increasing sizes: tinder, kindling, fuel

· Tinder is often cotton wool / tumble dryer lint (fairy blankets/pillows), pine needles or silver birch bark from dead wood

· Dry kindling is collected (if it snaps there is no sap in it) and separated into 4 sizes: matchstick, pencil, thumb, wrist. Standing dead wood (found in lower branches) is often dry

· A fire base is made from flat wood to keep the fire off the floor. Several thin sticks can allow air to circulate under the fire

· Tinder is lit with a fire steel

· Kindling is slowly added from the side using a ‘jenga’ criss-cross pattern to allow air to circulate. Other fire shapes (grid for cooking, tepee for groups and beam for over-night) are discussed

. Kelly Kettles may be used with a 1:5 ratio (age appropriate). Always remove the cork before lighting the kettle. The cork is only to be used for transporting cold water. Never hold the handle above the chimney when the kettle is lit. Always keep other people away from the kettle when in use. See handbook for guidelines.