With summer in full swing, Coloradans are ready to celebrate in style. But with our outdoor play comes risks, including wildfires.
I’ve long called for a ban on Fourth of July fireworks. Now it’s time to tackle another prime source of fire and health hazards: the campfire. Here are six reasons why you might want to think twice before lighting the flames the next time you set up camp.
Increasing wildfire risks
One look at Colorado’s recent wildfire trends and there’s no doubt that a designated fire season is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Whether it’s increasing heat, dryness or stronger winds, climate change is fueling larger, more destructive wildfires across our state year-round. Case in point, there are currently zero fire restrictions in Lake County where the Interlaken fire near Twin Lakes continues to burn, the cause of which is suspected to be a poorly extinguished campfire.
Given the growing climate instability makes predicting weather conditions more difficult, our ability to predict and manage wildfire conditions is also impacted. Assuming risks are elevated year-round is a logical decision, and one that rings especially true to those of us who fled the Marshall fire in late December 2021. This means our usual stages of fire restrictions might be outdated, and campfire risks increase year-round accordingly.
More wildfires leads to higher price tags
As wildfires become more intense and destructive, costs in Colorado are rising. Home insurance is through the roof, and some homes risk losing coverage altogether. Car insurance is rising. Costs of goods and materials to rebuild spike after major wildfires. While multiple causes contributing to the wallet pinch, wildfires are part of the equation. Anything that helps reduce the risk of them will help keep costs down.
Most wildfires are human-caused
According to studies, the vast majority of wildfires are human-caused with estimates reaching 84% of wildfires being ignited by humans. These rates have led to more than triple the days of the average fire season and counting, with billions being spent to fight the fires. Taking steps to reduce human-caused wildfires is a must moving forward, and humans have demonstrated that no amount of fire education seems to make things better.
Health risks: Rising smoke pollution
The numbers are in and the results aren’t pretty: Coloradans continue to face too many days of unsafe air quality. Campfire smokes only makes it worse.
Smoke pollution from campfires has long been known to negatively affect health due to fine particles released during wood burning. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the microscopic particles can contribute to burning eyes, runny noses, increase asthma symptoms, bronchitis and even trigger heart attacks and strokes. Combine this with increased pollution day-to-day, and our rates of exposure are compounding, a factor not taken into current studies but one that is likely to worsen health outcomes. All steps to reduce air pollution are helpful.
Health risks: Rising burn injuries
Firepits and outdoor heaters are a leading cause of child injuries at campsites and in the backyard, with pediatric burn events massively on the rise. According to one study, nearly 11,000 children were estimated to be burn victims between 2006 and 2017, with the burn rate in recent years more than tripling burn rates in the 2000s.
Most firepit-related injuries are sustained via contact with hot coals and embers, followed by children falling into open flames and “flash flames” leaping beyond the immediate fire area. Such events can lead to a range of injuries including first- to third-degree burns requiring treatment in a medical burn unit. Notably, a lack of supervision was only directly attributable to 14% of cases, suggesting supervision alone may not be sufficient for prevention.
Campfire bans have been found to dramatically reduce burn injuries. One study of a statewide summer campfire ban in New Mexico showed a threefold to fourfold reduction in burn victims, a massive win for public health.
Increased population
It’s no secret that Colorado’s population has boomed in recent years. Boasting roughly 6 million residents and millions more visitors, the state’s parks and backcountry have seen similar increases in use accordingly. Once spacious campgrounds are now packed to the gills, dramatically increasing the concentration of campfires.
Unfortunately, many of these campgrounds are not built to sustain such dense use of smoke-emitting rings, and campers can quickly find themselves inhaling copious amounts of campfire smoke with little to no escape as the smoke gets trapped in valleys and low terrain. This increase in use therefore exacerbates our exposure to smoke pollution, injury and the chances of human-caused wildfires.
Other solutions to address the rising risks of campfires could be possible, but would be more challenging to implement. For example, an extensive permit system, training and fee system could help, but would be costly to organize and implement. It’s also true that an outright ban will still invite bad actors. But the fact remains that accidental fire-starts are a massive risk that impacts our states in surprising ways, even for those that mean well. Banning campfires year-round is an easy step toward improvements in public health, safety and environment.
Now all we need is a better way to make s’mores.
Trish Zornio is a scientist, lecturer and writer who has worked at some of the nation’s top universities and hospitals. She’s an avid rock climber and was a 2020 candidate for the U.S. Senate in Colorado.
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