Shared by Allie Clement, Visitor Services Intern, as Guest Blogger.

Ah...a fall campfire with the crackling wood, the soft warmth and mesmerizing bright flames. A campfire is a huge part of Virginia State Park summer and fall camping traditions. However, making sure children and adults know how to be safe around a fire is important to prevent injuries and to prevent accidental wildfires. 

Here is a handy checklist you can share with your children before going camping with campfire safety tips to help protect you and our parks natural areas, before you dig into the s'mores:

Campfire safety is key to a fun and safe camping trip

Firstly and most importantly, be sure to note that fires are permitted only in designated fireplaces or marked fire rings at Virginia State Parks. 

• There is a quarantine due to emerald ash borer and other invasive insect species and diseases in Virginia, so only use wood purchased at Virginia State Parks. Any other wood may not be brought in and is prohibited, learn more here at Don't Move Firewood.org
• While building campfires make sure there are no overhanging branches, steep slopes, rotten stumps, dry grass, and leaves. This way you can make sure your fire will stay safely contained in the fire ring area. 
• A campfire does not need to be large. A small one can provide just as much heat.
• Make sure you never leave the fire unattended. A small breeze can cause a fire to get quickly out of hand.If the fire is not seasoned you will have more stray embers.

The chimney stack is a great way to build a campfire as it has good airflow and will collapse toward the center as the logs burn

• Start your fire with dry twigs and small sticks as kindling and continue to add more dry wood to it. It is against regulations to pull branches or twigs off of trees, but whatever you find on the ground around the fire ring is okay.
• Put the biggest pieces of wood on last, pointing towards the center and pushing them into the flames. You do not need anything too large just enough to keep the fire going.
• In case anything happens it is really important to have plenty of water handy and a shovel to throw dirt on the fire. These are just precautions if the campfire gets out a hand at any point.
• Never allow children to play around the fire in case one of them stumbles and slips.

Please practice good campfire safety no matter where you are as we want to protect our local firefighters and Virginia State Parks firefighting crews

• After, lighting your fire make sure the match you used is out and cold. That way when you discard it nothing else catches on fire.
• At the end of the night make sure the campfire is drowned with water and all the embers and sticks are wet. Move the rocks and also check to make sure there are no remains embers there as well.
• Stirs the remains with the shovel to check and make sure all burned materials have been put out and cooled properly.
• Lastly, make sure wherever you are setting up a campfire that you are indeed permitted to have an open fire. False Cape State Park doesn't permit open fires and a variety of parks have late winter/early spring burn bans in place daily until 4pm. Check with your park ranger or staff when checking in, and prior to building a campfire.

The 20 Questions campfire at First Landing State Park is very popular with kids

Nearly every Virginia State Park offers a weekly campfire program, from primitive and emergency fire making and welcome campfires to civil war encampments and ghost stories. Click here and bookmark the page for a calendar of program and events, including weekly campfire programs.   

Now who's ready for s'mores?