Re: [at-l] CAMPFIRES- long

[bullard@northnet.org]

At 05:40 AM 11/19/99 -0500, ED KENDALL wrote:
>
>In view of the recent fires in the Blood Mt. area, which appear
>to have been started by some hunters in order, no doubt, to 
>have a "real outdoors experience" I submit (resubmit) the following
>comments on campfires-----------
>-----------------------------------------------------
>Campfires occupy a very special place in most of our
>memories of happy outdoor events.  We remember singing songs
>around the campfires at summer camp, scout outings, camping
>trips with the family....it's part of Americana. 
..snip..snip..
>Experience with fire rings shows:
>
>*--that without a forceful and constant owner presence and
>supervision a single fire ring quickly becomes many fire
>rings.

As Lean-to maintainer in the Adirondacks I can attest to that.
..snip..
>* --that the soil under and near the fire ring is sterilized
>forever in a growing circle around the fire, both in a
>downward and outward direction.

Here's something else to consider. We had some persistent forest fires in
the High Peaks area of the Adirondacks this year. They weren't (for the
most part) "crown" fires meaning that the tops of the trees weren't what
was burning. The "soil" in the mountains is usually shallow and isn't dirt.
It's duff, a semi rotted conglomerate of leaves, pine needles, twigs etc.
and unlike real dirt, if it dries out in a drought (like the one we had
this year) the ground under your feet is combustible. That's what happened
in the Adirondacks. Putting down a fire ring to contain a fire does no
good. You're setting fire to the ground underneath. It can actually spread
underground in these conditions and it takes a *lot* of rain to stop it.
When the ground is burning 2-3 feet down and you get a day of rain the heat
from below evaporates the water before it can sink into the duff far enough
to put the fire out. It can take a week or more of rain to put it out.
So.... when they say NO FIRES, think about it before you decide that you're
clever enough to avoid starting a forest fire and build a bonfire anyway.
>
>* --that the ash and charcoal,  and unburned green logs and
>branches builds up and is seldom removed by fire users.
>Persons who tidy up a fire ring generally toss this charcoal
>debris into the nearby rough lands where it sits as litter
>for many years.

A good use for the ash is to de-acidify the privy pit. It helps the odor
problem too.

>* --that fire rings attract trash in the form of products
>and wrappers that do not burn.  Fire users toss refuse into
>the fire believing that it will burn.  However, many modern
>products do not burn.  Many wrappers that look like they
>would burn --do not.  Many forms of litter, such as orange
>peels, might eventually decay and recycle, but a fire will
>not make them disappear quickly.  Even some products like
>newsprint that could burn are not fully burned.  They become
>wet and soggy  and lay around the fire ring never burning.
>In effect, a fire ring is a mini toxic waste site, traced
>with minute portions of poisons, carcinogens, and some very
>unappealing forms of gas.
That's the truth. The biggest part of my cleanup is usually the fire pit.
They (DEC) is planning on banning fires in the area where I maintain and I
support that. There seems to be a never ending stream of dolts who think
that cans, plastic and glass will burn.
..clip..
>It is an anomaly of present day outdoor recreation that
>managers of lands where campfires are permitted have come to
>realize that if they do not go outside of their own pristine
>natural forested area and bring in prepared firewood from a
>managed firewood lot, then the picnickers and campers will
>destroy the very forest they have traveled hundreds of miles
>to enjoy.  

The most sickening thing I ever encountered as a maintainer was the time I
arrived at the lean-to to discover that someone had girdled the outer bark
from 6 of the massive old yellow birch that are in front of the lean-to. To
make it worse, the perpetrator(s) carved a cross into one all the way down
to the cambium. How anyone could believe they were glorifying God by
defacing his creation is a horrifying mystery to me. If I had caught them
in the act I'd have kicked their butt the whole 7 miles back to the road.

Saunterer
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