2. Cooking and Tools

Build and extinguish fire

2c.
Using a minimum-impact method at an approved outdoor location and time, use the tinder, kindling, and fuel wood from Second Class requirement 2b to demonstrate how to build a fire. Unless prohibited by local fire restrictions, light the fire. After allowing the flames to burn safely for at least two minutes, safely extinguish the flames with minimal impact to the fire site. Properly dispose of the ashes and any charred remains.

Building, managing, and completely extinguishing a campfire is one of the most fundamental outdoor skills in Scouting. A responsible Scout never starts a fire without having safety tools ready, and never leaves a fire until it passes the strict “Cold Out” test.

Preparing a Safe Fire Site

  1. Check Local Fire Bans: Always confirm with rangers or camp leadership that open fires are permitted.
  2. Use Existing Fire Rings or Fire Pans: Reusing existing rings prevents scarring new soil. If building a minimum-impact backcountry fire, build a mound fire (layering 3–5 inches of mineral soil onto a ground cloth) or use an elevated fire pan.
  3. Clear the 10-Foot Safety Perimeter: Rake away all dry leaves, pine needles, grass, and twigs for a 10-foot radius around the fire ring down to bare soil.
  4. Inspect Overhead Clearance: Ensure there are no low-hanging branches, tree canopies, or dining tarps within 15 feet overhead.
  5. Safety Tools on Standby: Have a full bucket of water and a camp shovel standing right next to the fire ring before striking a match.

Fire Lay Structures

Side-by-side comparison of a teepee fire lay and a log-cabin fire lay, both built around a tinder bundle

The Teepee Fire Lay (Best for Quick Boiling & Light)

  • Place your baseball-sized bundle of tinder in the center of the ring.
  • Lean small kindling sticks together over the tinder in a conical tepee shape, leaving an opening on the upwind side so air can enter and you can reach in with a match.
  • Add slightly thicker kindling around the outside. As it burns, the sticks fall inward, concentrating intense heat at the apex.

The Log Cabin / Crisscross Fire Lay (Best for Cooking Coals)

  • Place your tinder bundle in the center with a light tepee of fine kindling directly over it.
  • Lay two small fuel logs parallel on either side of the tinder.
  • Lay two more sticks across them at right angles, building a square “cabin” framework 3 to 4 layers high.
  • Top with a layer of kindling across the opening. When lit, this structure collapses into a flat, uniform bed of glowing coals ideal for griddles and Dutch ovens.

The Lean-To Fire Lay (Best for Windy Conditions)

  • Push a medium dry stick into the ground at a 30-degree angle, pointing into the prevailing wind.
  • Place your tinder nest underneath the angled stick.
  • Lean small kindling sticks against the support stick over the tinder. The support stick shields the delicate flame from strong wind gusts while drawing airflow upward.

Lighting and the 2-Minute Burn

  1. Light from the Bottom Upwind: Crouch with your back to the wind to shield the match. Reach through the opening and light the bottom of the tinder bundle.
  2. Give It Air: Fire requires oxygen. If the flame flickers, blow gently at the very base of the tinder to help it catch the kindling.
  3. Feed Gradually: As the kindling catches, add slightly larger sticks one by one. Never dump a heavy log onto a fledgling fire.
  4. Monitor Safely for 2 Minutes: Stand or sit behind the safety ring and watch the flames burn steadily and under control for at least two minutes without leaving the perimeter.

Extinguishing the Fire: The “Cold Out” Standard

A fire is not extinguished when the visible flames disappear. Deep, buried coals can stay hot for days and ignite brush hours after you leave. Follow the Drown, Stir, Drown, Feel method:

1. DROWN
   Pour water across the entire fire bed to knock down all flames and embers.
      ↓
2. STIR
   Use a stick or camp shovel to turn over logs and scrape ash clumps apart.
      ↓
3. DROWN AGAIN
   Pour more water over the stirred coals until all hissing and steam stops.
      ↓
4. FEEL (Cold Out Test)
   Hold the back of your bare hand directly over (and gently touch) all wet ashes.
   If ANY part feels warm, repeat steps 1–3 until completely cold to the touch.

Ash Disposal & Site Cleanup

  • Frontcountry Campgrounds: Leave the wet, cold ashes in the designated metal fire ring, or shovel them into a campground-provided metal ash disposal barrel.
  • Backcountry / Leave No Trace: Once cold, crush remaining charcoal chunks into fine powder, scatter the cold ashes widely across a broad, vegetated area far from camp, and return mineral soil from mound fires to its original spot, leaving the ground pristine.