Every year we “certify” our Brownies for campfire safety. Earning a certificate for Campfire Safety helps you and your Brownie feel more confident about their ability to be safe in a group around a campfire.

Children this age take these things very seriously. At every campfire, I ask my Brownies to raise their hand if they have their Campfire Safety Certificate and they all sit up nice and tall as their hands shoot up. For each campfire, we review and reinforce their safety skills.

Second year Brownies, or Brownies who we see have become truly proficient in their Campfire Safety Skills may begin to learn how to make and maintain a fire through age appropriate activities such as the Edible Campfire, and graduating up to assisting with building a fire and maintaining a fire.

Rules of Campfire Safety:

• A Safe Place 
  • A safe place is one in which the campfire can be contained, and is far enough away from any buildings, brush, or highly flammable objects.
  • All sticks, twigs and leaves around the campfire pit should be removed
  • Anything someone might trip over should be removed
• Circle of Safety
  • We should place our Brownie Buckets or sit-upons 4 ft away from the fire. 
  • People should walk around the outside of the seated area if they need to move around, never in between the chairs and the fire.
  • No playing or rough housing should take place within the Circle of Safety.
  • Only people called up to cook or address the fire should be in within the Circle of Safety.
• What If?
  • If a spark flies onto your skin or clothing: calmly brush it away. Move away from the fire and alert a Guider to the situation.
  • No one touches, pokes or adds wood to the fire except the designated fire tender (Usually a Guider or trained PF/R).
  • If your marshmallow catches on fire, point the flaming marshmallow close to the ground and wait for it to burn out. 
    • A Fire Tender may approach you to try and help put out the marshmallow (we used to blow on it, but in the times of Covid, obviously not).
    • Make sure to reassure them that they will get another marshmallow
• General Safety
  • You must never approach the campfire uninvited 
    • Yes, this is listed twice, it’s that important!
    • Depending on the size of the fire pit, we allow only 4-6 youth to approach the fire to roast marshmallows or cook
  • The Fire Tender will always have water, a shovel and a wool blanket on hand to deal with any fire emergencies. 
  • If the Fire Tender says, “Move away!” everyone at the campfire should calmly move several feet away from the fire and follow the instructions of the Fire Tender or other responsible person in charge

When you feel your Brownies have understood and follow these rules, give them the Campfire Safety Certificate. Remind them of these rules at every single campfire (I still remind my PF/Rs, who are all trained Fire Tenders themselves.)

Brownie Campfire Safety CertificateDownload