How to make a fire safely? Rescue Board recommendations for fire-making

A good fire-side evening doesn't start with a match, but with a couple of simple decisions. The first is always where you're allowed to make a fire - and from there, what to burn, how to account for the wind and how to put the fire out properly in the end. The Rescue Board's rules (in Estonian) aren't complicated, and most of them come down to one idea: the fire must stay under your control from start to finish.

Where may you light a fire?

You may make a fire on your own land or with the landowner's permission, in a proper fire site that is a safe distance from buildings and other flammable material. A small fire, up to a metre across, must stay at least 8 metres from every building and store of flammable material. A larger fire and a public fire already need 15 metres. In a forest you may only make a fire at marked sites, for example RMK campfire sites. Before lighting up, it's also worth checking the local municipality's public-order rules, which may set stricter limits.

No open fire is made on a wooden terrace or a balcony - only a grill whose instructions allow it belongs there.

Safe distances and the fire-danger period

In summer the Rescue Board often declares a fire-danger period. Then the fire must be even farther from the forest - the Rescue Board recommends at least 20 metres. When a high fire-danger period is in force, open fire, grilling and bonfires in nature are forbidden even at sites prepared for them. As the situation changes with the weather, check the current status on the Rescue Board's website before heading out.

What may you burn in a fire?

Only natural, untreated wood goes into a fire. In a home-garden fire you may also burn cardboard and paper. Everything else - painted or impregnated wood, plastic, household waste - produces toxic smoke and belongs in the landfill, not the fire. Burning dry grass is forbidden in Estonia all year round: dry grass catches in a flash and the fire spreads before you can react.

Good practice when making a fire

Before lighting up, clear the area around the fire site of dried grass, leaves and twigs, and ring the spot with stones or an earth bank. Make a fire only in calm wind and watch the wind direction, so sparks aren't carried to a building, the forest or flammable material. Keep a means of putting it out within reach - a bucket of water or a fire extinguisher.

An open fire is never left unattended for a moment - keep children and animals at a safe distance. For a larger Midsummer bonfire the Rescue Board recommends appointing a separate fire warden who keeps an eye on the fire from lighting to extinguishing. If the fire should get out of hand, call the emergency number 112 at once.

How to put a fire out properly?

The flame dying down doesn't yet mean the fire couldn't reignite - glowing ash can flare up again in a gust of wind. Put the fire out completely before you leave. Stir the ash with a poker and turn it over, so glowing embers aren't hidden beneath the ash. Only then is the fire truly out. From our own experience we can tell you that a fire made in a fire pit flared up again almost 12 hours later, because embers were hidden under the ash.

A fire pit that makes safety easier

Many of these rules become easier when you have a proper fire pit. It limits the flight of sparks and protects the ground from the heat, so the fire stays where you made it. See more about why this fire pit is special.

And a fire pit isn't only for yourself. It's also a meaningful gift that can be made personal with an engraving or a company logo - read how to turn a fire pit into a gift. And if you're looking for your first fire pit, our guide on what to check when choosing one will help.