Uptick in abandoned campfires prompts safety reminders for forest and grassland visitors
Contact Information: Public Affairs Office sm.fs.psiccpa@usda.gov
PUEBLO, Colo., May 29, 2025 — With visitation to the Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands (PSICC) on the rise, forest officials welcome visitors and remind them about proper campfire safety because one abandoned campfire is one too many.
Over Memorial Day weekend, firefighters engaged in fire prevention patrols on the PSICC found 24 abandoned campfires, which can result in multiple escaped wildfires. While patrolling resources also respond to 4 wildfires across the forest. One was caused by lighting while the others were all determined to be human caused. The wildfires were quickly contained but triggered the reminder that we all must do our part to not let a wildfire start.
While the vast majority of forest visitors camp responsibly, it takes only one spark, from recreational target shooting, dragging chains or an abandoned campfire, in the wrong place at the wrong time to put human lives, natural and cultural resources and infrastructure at risk.
If you plan to gather family and friends around a campfire, please do it safely by following Smokey Bear’s campfire safety procedures. If you need a visual, watch this Forest Service video on YouTube. Build your campfire in an area cleared of vegetation. Never abandon or leave a campfire unattended. Always have plenty of water and a shovel nearby. When it’s time to leave, extinguish your campfire by drowning, stirring, and repeating until it’s the consistency of a mud pie and cold to the touch.
If forest and grassland visitors come across an abandoned campfire, extinguish the fire if possible. If not, call and report it to the local PSICC nonemergency number at 719-553-1400.
About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.
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