09/25/2026
COOLER EVENINGS MEANS BONFIRE SEASON IS HERE 🔥
A good bonfire should end with memories, not a property loss.
Before lighting the first fire of the season, take a few minutes to think beyond the obvious.
• Look up, not just around. Keep the fire well away from tree canopies, low branches, power lines, pergolas, and roof overhangs. Rising heat and embers travel farther than most people expect.
• Check where the wind is going, not just how hard it’s blowing. Position seating, vehicles, wood piles, barns, fences, and neighboring structures upwind whenever possible.
• Create a true noncombustible perimeter. Dry grass, landscaping mulch, pine needles, leaves, and decorative grasses can carry fire surprisingly fast. Bare soil, gravel, or another noncombustible surface around the fire is preferable.
• Keep the wood pile separate. Don’t stack the evening’s firewood beside the pit. One rolling ember can turn your fuel supply into a second fire.
• Burn clean, natural wood only. Painted lumber, treated wood, construction debris, furniture, pallets, and household trash can produce hazardous smoke and unpredictable flare-ups.
• Have water ready before the first match. A connected and charged garden hose is far more useful than realizing you need one after something has already caught fire. A metal shovel or rake should be nearby as well.
• Don’t confuse “no flames” with “out.” When the evening is over, soak the fire, stir the coals, and soak it again. If you can still feel significant heat above the ashes, the fire isn’t finished.
• Treat the ashes like they are still burning. Hot coals can survive long after everyone has gone inside. Place cooled ashes in a metal container with a metal lid, never directly into a plastic trash bin or next to combustible materials.
• Before lighting, check local burn restrictions. Dry conditions, wind, or municipal restrictions can change whether an otherwise normal backyard fire is appropriate that evening.
Fall evenings are meant to be enjoyed.
A little preparation can prevent a small fire from becoming a very large insurance claim.
Mission Property Loss Consultants
We Investigate • We Negotiate • You Recover.