Every month in the Center's eNews, we pose a difficult Leave No Trace ethical and skills based situation for readers to comment on. Below is March's situation and a few of your responses.

What Would You Do?

Backpacking with friends, a majority of your nights out are spent camping in pristine backcountry. One afternoon you come across a great campsite off the trail in a level clearing under towering Douglas Fur trees. You find a poorly constructed fire pit with a small pile of ash in it. What would you do in this situation, if anything at all?

Here's what you said:

Eliminate fire pit:  scatter rocks, scatter ashes (if cold) along the trail (subsequent hikers will trod down the ashes into the trail tread).  If ashes are still warm, douse them until cold with water (if you’ve water to spare).  If they’re still warm, and you’ve no water to spare, leave them:  better to leave them lying on an already-burned area, than to scatter them in brush where they could ignite dry debris.  If the trail is dirt, with no organic debris, spread the ashes along the trail tread.  (Subsequent hikers will trod them down into the tread)

               -Jan Le Pouvoir, California

Break down the fire pit and disperse it...leave no trace that it ever existed.

               -Cindy Reilly, AZ State Advocate

1.  Check to see if "warm"...pour water (if available)

2.  IF and or when it is stone cold...disperse any rocks indicating a "pit" and rake or disperse ash and cover with dirt making sure no needles etc are part of that.

3. IF NOT stone cold take steps to make sure it IS. 

4.  Leave no evidence that it once was there.

5. Pick up any trash and take it with you.

               -Gayla Nelson

Breakdown the firepit and do the best to restore it to primitive, and haul off the ash, although could take the small amount of ash out a couple of hundred yards and disperse.  Same would be true of any left behind unburnt wood.   

               -Mikey

Pack out the trash, take the fire pit apart and scatter ashes and stones.  Any fire you make should be in an elevated pan or on enough dirt or sand to be able to safely remove afterwards, scatter ash once cold, and Leave No Trace of its existence.  Keep fire small or do without it using candles for your fire and gas burners for your cooking.

               -Jim Jenkins, Mesa, AZ

If the campsite and campfires are “legal” based on the land management agencies guidance I would leave it alone.  If the campsite is legal but campfires are not then I would widely disperse the rocks and ashes and naturalize the site to erase traces of the campfire. It would not be a good idea to remove the fire site if campfires are legal as future campers would likely rebuild a fire site in a different spot. Due to the long term impacts to soil caused by campfires it’s best to pick the best spot and keep the campfire there. Agencies often do this by anchoring steel fire rings or fire grates but you can also bury large rocks in the ground to make rock fire sites more permanent.  

               -Jeff Blacksburg, VA 

Camp there and remove/obliterate the fire pit without using it.

              - Henry Salt Lake City, UT

This is a great teachable moment for your group, if they are not well versed in LNT – or an opportunity to set an example of walking the walk if they area. I would scatter the ashes, or possibly leave them in place, and fill in the pit using the dirt the person who constructed the pit misplaced. If that isn’t possible, I’d gather mineral material from several places spread over a wide area to do so, and then scatter some woody debris to help disguise the disturbance.Next, I’d use a camp-stove to cook with, and sit back to enjoy the sights and sounds of the evening. If some members of the group would like a campfire-type experience, a candle is a remarkably effective alternative – just remember to be fire-wise and clear a safe area around it, and never leave it burning unattended.

               -Eric, Alpine AZ

1.  SCATTER THE STONES IN A WIDE AREA

2.  REMOVE ASH AND SCATTER OR BURY

3.  RETURN AREA TO LOOK LIKE REST OF AREA BY PUTTING DOWN A GROUND COVER OF NEEDLES, LEAVES SMALL TWIGS

4.  IF ANY FIRE WOOD IS PILES UP, SCATTER

               -Steven Mehl

I would dismantle the fire ring, disperse the ashes and coals over a large area and move any rocks out of the area scattered over a large area.

               -Jack Latham, BSA Caddo District

With a poorly constructed fire pit already there with a pile of ash, limit further damage by scattering the rocks and ashes and cleaning up most signs of the former fire pit. Use your camping stove for your fire source.

               -Geoff

I would eliminate all evidence of the fire pit to the best of my ability.  If there were rocks they would be widely scattered or put at the bottom of the pit, the ash would be removed and scattered at least 100 -200 feet out side the "camping area".  The pit would be filled with dirt, hopefully from the mound from the pit or one could find mineral soil, if not get the dirt away from the site.  Cover with needles and twigs.

               Rush Williamson ME, NCAC Outdoor Ethics Advisor

I would break down the fire ring and pack out the ash (at least to the nearest substantial stream).

               Bill

I would tear down the firepit, use some of the dirt to create a mound fire on my fire blanket (that I bring on extended trips)  Prior to all this work work I would have a discussion whether to have a fire in a pristine area. If we decide to go without fire we gather our nalgenes and headlamps and have our no flame campfire. The next day we would discuss if leaving the firepit intact would have been  a positive action. At this time we would look around and see if this "pristine" area had the resources "down wood" to sustain repeated fires over the years. One student argued that fire ring may avoid other rings being created........As we we walked out we were satisfied tearing down the pit and going with our flameless water bottle fire.Since it is a pristine forest, I would disburse the rocks over a large area.  I would also take the ashes and spread them so that they blend in with the surrounding vegetation (the ashes contain nutrients for the plants).  Next loosen the sterilized soil where the fire was.  Then get organic soil in small amounts from the area and place on top of the loosened dirt and mix to provide a substrate that will promote a return to a vegetative site. 

               -John Hart <:))><

IF there are no other (better) options available for pit location, reinforce the existing pit; clean it when you leave it; hope others use it and don’t build another one.   If there is another option dismantle, erase, and rebuild in the premium spot.

               -John Ballard

I would dismantle the fire ring/pit if poorly constructed, spread the ashes, and try to make the area as if no fire pit/ring had every existed. Fire rings/pit always seem to become garbage pits.

               -Doug Baum

Assumption: the fire pit is constructed of rocks.  1.  Scatter the rocks.  2.  Ensure the small pile of ash is completely cold.  3. Bury the ash along with leaves/pine needles in the former fire pit.

               -Ken Davis

I suggest cleaning up the fire pit site and returning it to nature.

               -Jay Stires, Kansas

If it seems Not to be an well established camping area, I would dismantle the fire ring and try and cover up the appearance that it existed.

              -Bob Layson

I would dismantle the fire pit. Scattering the debris and restoring the area as best I could so no one else would use this area as a fire pit in the future.

               -Fran Philp

If no one is around, and water is available, pour water on the pit to make sure it is dead out. I would scatter the wet ashes so they are not recognizable/visible. Scatter any sticks. Look for an area with excess duff & forest debris and remove small amounts to scatter over the pit site to make sure no one else can see it after making sure no black is visible.

               -Bryan Bell, Olympic National Park

1. It is best to use an existing campsite so that you do not cause additional impact on the resource, so if this is a good campsite that has already been used by others, use this site.
 
2. What is the current posted fire risk?  If high DON'T BUILD ANY FIRE.
 
3.  A campfire and fire ring are not always necessary for cooking or heating water.  It is better to carry a small lightweight propane burner to heat food and water.
 
4.  If you absolutely must have a campfire to heat water or cook food, construct a dirt mound campfire, or use a fire pan or fire blanket so as to avoid sterilization of the soil, which leaves a dead bare spot..
 
5.  Collect and burn only dead wood smaller than your wrist so that it will burn up completely.  Do not cut green or growing trees.  Do not try to burn large logs. Do not burn trash in your campfire.  Pack it in, pack it out.
 
6.  Before you leave, drown fire, scatter ashes, disperse fire ring stones.

               -Sara Earles

I would scatter the ashes and try to make the fire pit area not look like a fire pit .

               -Dan Owens

If I stumbled upon an established campsite in a pristine area as long as it met LNT criteria. As long as the campsite is off trail and has an established fire pit,  I would leave the site alone. If the fire pit is poorly constructed and contains trash, I would reconstruct the fire pit and pack out the trash in hopes that future users of the site will leave it as they found it.

               -Beth McCandless, Master Educator since 2002

Depending on how pristine the area is, I would remove the ash (haul out if needed or distribute it on the trail) or bury the ash and then try to make the surroundings as pristine as possible.
 
               -Jenny

Our Answer:

Do you use the fire pit and have yourself a warm fire to sit at as the sun goes down and the temperature drops or do you deconstruct the fire pit and naturalize the area? 

There are a few options here, any of which would be acceptable. First, whether or not you intend to have a fire, consider cleaning out the fire ring and packing out the trash. Litter often attracts animals to campsites and litter in fire pits often attracts more litter. Generally speaking, burning trash is not recommended, and a clean fire pit helps reinforce the notion that fire pits are for burning only wood. Next, consider shoring up the fire pit so that it is in a condition that will prompt others to use it rather than construct another, newer fire pit. When a campsite has one single well-built and clean fire pit, it can lessen the temptation for visitors to build multiple fire rings in the same area. Usually it is best to have one fire pit rather than multiple fire pits in one area. 

If you intend to have a fire in the newly cleaned fire pit you need to ensure that fires are allowed in the area and ensure that conditions are safe for having a fire. Windy and dry conditions, even if there is no fire ban, may not offer the best conditions under which to build a campfire responsibly. Assuming fires are allowed, conditions are safe and you have the skills to have a responsible fire, then go for it. Make sure you use only dead, downed wood that is no larger than your wrist. Give some thought to how you will put the fire out as well. Before going to bed make sure the fire is dead out and cold to the touch. Before leaving the campsite ensure the fire pit is clean for the next visitors to the site. 

While some outdoor enthusiasts enjoy campfires, many people do not. If you choose not to have a fire, still consider cleaning and shoring up the existing fire pit to encourage its use by future visitors to the area. If you feel that the fire pit should be dismantled and the site rehabilitated, take photographs of the site, note the condition of the fire pit and share this information with the land manager responsible for the area. Rehabilitation work can be very beneficial for an area but should always be done in consolation with local land mangers. If the manager agrees with your assessment of the site, work with him or her to develop the best plan for rehabilitating the site so that it meets the agency's criteria and standards. 

Regardless of whether or not you have a fire, be sure and do what you can to help take care of our shared resources.