Campfire safety: how to build a fire and cook outdoors

Campfire and outdoor cooking: a practical guide

⏱ 3 min read

How to light a fire safely and what to cook. A guide based on official advice. The same text is in the free SurvivalZone.app and works without internet.

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Where and when it's allowed

In many European countries open fires in and near forests are only allowed at designated sites. Check the local rules first.
Check the forest fire danger level. When it is high, skip the fire, even at a designated site.
Light it on bare ground or in a stone ring, away from trees, dry grass and tents. Keep water or sand ready to put it out.

How to light it

Prepare three kinds of fuel: tinder (dry pine needles, birch bark, shavings), pencil-thin kindling and thicker branches.
Lay the tinder, build a small cone of kindling over it and light it from the side the wind is coming from.
Add thicker wood gradually. Adding too much too fast smothers the fire.
For wet weather, carry storm matches or a lighter and tinder in a waterproof bag.

Cooking

Cook over embers, not flames. Embers give even heat and won't burn the food.
Easiest: sausages and vegetables on a stick, potatoes wrapped in foil in the embers (about 40 minutes), bread dough twisted on a stick.
Boil water from rivers or lakes for at least one minute before drinking.
Cook meat through and keep raw meat away from cooked food.

Putting it out

Drown the fire with water, stir the ashes and drown it again. The ashes must be cold to the touch.
Never leave a fire unattended, even for a moment.

Watch out

Never light a fire in a tent or under a tarp. It risks fire and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Never use petrol or solvents to light a fire. The flash can cause burns.

Frequently asked questions

Can I light a campfire in the forest?

In many countries only at designated fire sites. Check local rules and the current fire danger before lighting one.

How do I start a fire when everything is wet?

Look for dry tinder under spruce branches and in birch bark, use storm matches and add fuel gradually from the thinnest.

How do I put out a campfire?

Drown it with water, stir the ashes and drown it again until everything is cold to the touch, as the US Forest Service advises.

Keep it on your phone

SurvivalZone.app is a free app for every emergency, with no account and no app store. It works without internet and shows the nearest shelters and help points, local radio, a 72-hour plan and a mountain trip planner.

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Sources

Official sources are checked automatically every day. Last check: 2026-11-08.

General guidance only; it does not replace the emergency services. If a life is in danger, call 112.