Campers are reminded to be prepared before lighting a campfire by checking weather conditions and warnings, including Total Fire Bans. It is also important to bring a bucket and to have enough water to fully extinguish the campfire whenever it can’t be attended.

Campers in state forests are urged to use a purpose-built fireplace or light a campfire in a trench at least 30cm deep. Branches and logs on a campfire must be less than one metre long.

Fire authorities say that campfires should never be left unattended and should always be completely put out with water, not soil or sand.

An Air ambulance had to land on a rocky coastline to evacuate a teenage girl badly injured in a campfire incident. PIC: Andrew Wilson- Aireys Inlet Fire Brigade / Geelong Advertiser

In Victoria, on the spot fines of $545 apply to those breaching campfire rules or a maximum penalty of up to $18,174 if the matter is prosecuted in court.

One of the most spectacular examples of the damage that can be done when people are careless with campfires came in late 2020 when a vast swathe of Queensland’s Fraser Island was devastated. Several men were later charged and fined.

And, of course, the danger of bushfires is not the only hazard presented by campfires. Just a week ago, an air ambulance had to execute a hazardous landing on the rocky section of the coastline at Aireys Inlet in Victoria to evacuate a teenage girl who had suffered serious upper body burns at a campfire.

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