Responses to October "The Situation"

Here’s what you had to say:

Although difficult to minimize the effect, every effort should be made to 1) pick the most used ring for yours; 2) work to dismantle the least used ring or both.  I am assuming the rings are not permanent (dug  in), this would mean relocating the existing borders to the remaining ring(s) and insuring all wood scraps were burned and all trash gathered and packed out.

–John Ballard

First, I would decide which fire ring is the farthest from the trail and water.  Then I would also weigh in the likelihood of it being used again by the next visitors.  (To lessen the chance of an additional fire ring being built again.)  Then I would dismantle, spread the ashes, and naturalize the other two fire rings so that the next visitor would only have one choice, and that would be the best choice.  I would also be sure to disperse cool, clean ashes, so that the one existing fire ring would be easy on the eyes.

Karen Lopes, LNT Master, Atwater, California

Assuming this is a remote/primitive camp sight. Hopefully you have good knowledge of where would be the best place to have a camp fire at a camp site. Taking in the surroundings - overhead canopy, distance from brush and other fire hazards, rain water wash paths, and the best place for ALL of the camp site to use one fire ring together.

After choosing the correct fire ring, you may need to down size it (make it smaller) and clean out some trash that may be left in the remains and ash. Then do your best to take apart and discourage use of the other fire rings. You can use some of the material to increase/better the safety and construction of the fire ring that you will be using (and want to be the primary).  Help to camouflage the old fire rings and encourage the soil to naturally rejuvenate. The reason to act is stop the use of all the other rings - if it is there most will use it thinking it is OK.

-Ward, AL coast

Here’s what we said:

I would choose the fire ring most centrally located where the most impact is.  Therefore, you would be concentrating your impact on an already impacted area.  As for the other fire rings you can dismantle them and disperse the rocks, therefore, those areas would have a chance to recover.