Campfire Ban?

[Fancy]

Texas Forest Service Incident Response Department Assistant Chief David Abernathy said underground fires traveling through the root system are keeping the environment hot, adding to the dangers of a new, live fire erupting as embers and pine needles fall from trees.

http://www.navasotaexaminer.com/news/ar ... mode=print
I really have to shake my head at the reasoning behind having a campfire during a campfire ban. It's like there's no concept of what can happen and does happen in the real world. People lose everything in a heartbeat including their lives just because others don't think of the consequences.

[Frisk]

Here is a big part of the problem with people today. As long as I don't get caught it's OK.

I could rob a bank & not get caught, yet I don't. Why? Because it affects other people's lives.

I can have a campfire & not get caught, and lots of people do! Why? Because as long as you are careful your campfire won't affect the lives of others.

All I'm trying to say is the ban is totally useless. Instead of having a campfire nearby in a proper location people have to go to the mountains & have fires in bad locations in poorly made fire pits. If you think about it, the ban is probably causing more forest fires than if there was no ban.

[Fancy]

I could rob a bank & not get caught, yet I don't. Why? Because it affects other people's lives.

I can have a campfire & not get caught, and lots of people do! Why? Because as long as you are careful your campfire won't affect the lives of others.

All I'm trying to say is the ban is totally useless. Instead of having a campfire nearby in a proper location people have to go to the mountains & have fires in bad locations in poorly made fire pits. If you think about it, the ban is probably causing more forest fires than if there was no ban.

And you think these people are responsible? LOL!!!

[Fancy]

Comparing bank robbing to campfires - zero sense but whatever. The ban distinguishes the people who care and don't have a fire from those that are irresponsible, don't care and thumb their noses at the danger they put themselves and everyone else in. I choose the former.

[Fancy]

http://www.backcountryattitude.com/camp ... blems.html

Something I've seen in the backcountry.

Illegal damage to trees on public lands for firewood.
◦Firewood scarcity in popular camping areas causes some irresponsible campers to disregard forest regulations and illegally damage live trees by breaking, sawing, or chopping off dead or live branches.
◦ In extreme cases people chop down entire trees for firewood which severely impacts the natural beauty of a campsite.
◦ Tree removal causes campsites to expand and become more park-like than natural forest.
◦Natural recovery can take decades and in heavily abused areas recovery may never happen unless campfire bans are enacted or sites are closed for revegetation

Campfires can ignite peat or roots under the surface causing a smoldering underground fire.
◦Peat and root fires can smolder uncontrolled for months underground.
◦If conditions are right these fires can spring to the surface a distance away from the original campfire causing a larger forest fire.
◦These fires may burn until a heavy rainfall extinguishes them.

[Frisk]

Did you not read what I said? The ban probably increases the number of forest fires caused by campfires because it makes people go into forested areas & have fires so that they won't get caught.

I never said these people are responsible, I said that IF they ARE responsible then they don't put anyone at risk.

[Frisk]

You keep mentioning smouldering fire underground, well that wouldn't happen if people were allowed to have fires in proper fire pits.

[prairieflower]

The fire ban is for what a month, maybe two at the most? If you are having this much "distress" at not being able to camp without a fire going, you need to find something else to do. Qualize, you are always the first to "report" smoke, sound an alarm, etc. Are you missing seeing fires?

We have a ban for a reason...it is tinder dry out there, a good majority of those who camp are very responsible and follow the bans without problem. It is the small majority of idiots out there that wreck it for the rest. And truly, the only people going to the mountains to escape the campfire bans, are the idiots who ignore most eveything else, because they think they are "entitled"

We are a huge backyard firepit family, and love nothing better than sitting around the fire with friends and family; but seriously, for the risk involved of burning down neighbourhoods and or starting forest fires, we follow the rules. It really is not that hard to do, whether here in Glenrosa or in a campsite.

Simply put, follow the rules, don't start an illegal fire simply because you feel the ban is "stupid." I personally do not feel like being evacuated this year, thank you very much.

[Fancy]

http://www.myccr.com/preparation/campfires

Some people need a bit more education than others.

[Fancy]

You keep mentioning smouldering fire underground, well that wouldn't happen if people were allowed to have fires in proper fire pits.

Bunk. Embers still escape, fires never always put out totally.

[prairieflower]

Did you not read what I said? The ban probably increases the number of forest fires caused by campfires because it makes people go into forested areas & have fires so that they won't get caught.

I never said these people are responsible, I said that IF they ARE responsible then they don't put anyone at risk.

Seriously??? If some jerk is going up to the mountains to escape the ban, they are putting us all at risk for burning us all out! Look at WA state and how that fire moved, look at Yellowknife right now and see how that fire travelled! Give you head a shake! Honestly!!

[Fancy]

http://www.wildwalks.com/bushcraft/mini ... fires.html
I particularly like this one:

•Always be prepared to not have a fire

[Frisk]

I never said I was going to have an illegal campfire. But other people do. And the ban makes them go to areas that have a higher risk of fire. It's a fact. People can be dumb & the ban makes then dumber.

Anyway I'm done arguing here. I've said my points.

[Fancy]

The point is there is campfire ban on and people should respect that.

[tsayta]

removed.