COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — Campers we talked to seem to know how to put out a fire properly. However, we talked with a camp host here in town who disagrees...Larry Romero is the camp host at South Meadows in Woodland Park. Every night, he patrols the campground to check if fires are put out properly.
He says every week he finds 2 or 3 campfires that are not properly put out. “At 10 o clock generally fires should be turned off and I’ll go around checking all the campsites and I find fires burning while people are sleeping so I wake them up and tell them they can’t have fires while they’re sleeping”
According to Romero, you need at least 5 gallons of water to extinguish a campfire properly. He says to pour in half the water, stir the wood and embers, then pour in more water until there is no heat. We wanted to see if campers in the area knew the drill so we we talked with one family who seemed to know the drill.
Caitlin Martin says “We’ll let the fire go down to just embers or coals then I’ve been taught to put small amounts of water at a time, you don’t want to add too much because it can push the heat down, so you put little bits of water on, add more and more unit the fire is out.”
Some more good info for when your fire is lit- Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreational Alliance says to keep your tent at least 30 feet away from a fire. That way you can hopefully keep the fire from spreading to your tent.
___
James Roland Bishop, builder of Bishop Castle passes away. How the castle he created is carrying on his legacy
Mr. Bishop spent 44 years of his life building the castle. It is now a staple of the state's history and leaves a 180-foot-tall legacy for his family.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
