Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Safety Around the Campfire
Imagine that you are part of a club. You have gathered in a clearing for a hot dog roast. A fire is crackling in a pit inside a ring of large rocks. You and your friends circle the fire holding hot dogs on the ends of long sticks. You watch tiny sparks drift up from the burning embers as you hold your hot dog above the flames. Your face tingles from the heat. You laugh when you see your friend's burned hot dog; it's black and looks bubbly! Later, you all sit around the campfire and tell stories. The fire makes the evening seem special.
Many people enjoy gathering around campfires. Confined to a pit, a campfire seems friendly and safe. However, sometimes people are careless. A campfire can get out of control and put lives in danger. It can spread and destroy acres of vegetation. To prevent that from happening, everyone needs to follow the basics of campfire safety.
First, plan the placement of the campfire. The best place for a campfire is a pit. Many campgrounds have these already, and they are often encircled by a metal ring. Otherwise, a pit should be dug; it will hold the kindling and firewood. It should be in a clearing, not under any trees. The area around the pit should be cleared of vegetation - no grass, no shrubbery, no trees, and no ground covering of fallen leaves. The pit itself should be surrounded by rocks. This is the way to set up a site for a safe campfire.
