A camping trip without a roasting, welcoming campfire is like a day without sunshine, a peanut butter sandwich without jelly, or a community event not sponsored by Nu Skin. It happens — but it feels a little off.

But as the last vestiges of winter serenely dissolve into the depths of Mirror Lake, the onslaught of Jaycos and gleaming Airstreams stop at Samak Smokehouse for eight pounds of turkey jerky then make their way to the mountains for the annual weekend adventure, and that means campfires. Lots of them. Almost 46 million Americans went camping in 2016, and that number increases every year.

As you plan your next summer camping trip, please keep these five factors in mind:

1. Honor the

burning ring of fire

People often underestimate just how much use each of the 7,000 campsites and countless open camping areas in Utah accommodate every day. When one set of campers pack up and leave, they are — often, within minutes — replaced with a new group. Experts say it takes about 12 to 14 hours for fire embers to cool completely, and the pit, itself, can take up to 24 hours to cool down. This means fire hazards are present the moment you arrive. According to Annette Matherly, R.N., community outreach and disaster coordinator for the University of Utah Burn Center, the time when a family is setting up camp and likely leaving children unattended is the time when injury is most likely to occur.

Keep children away from fire pits and initiate a 3-foot “safety zone” around the fire pit. Then, assign a grownup to enforce that safety zone when children are near.

2. Wear snug-fitting clothing

It’s hard for us to imagine our favorite flannel shirt from that grunge rock phase during college can be a fire hazard, but it doesn’t take much for baggy clothing to connect with an open flame. Fabrics like cotton, cotton blends, rayon, and acrylic ignite easily and burn quickly. If you can’t bear to leave your beloved shirt at home, roll up your sleeves, and the Utah Safety Council suggests wearing an apron made of fire resistant material and the use of long-handled equipment when cooking over an open flame or gas stove.

3. Store a water

source for safety

Stationing a bucket of water or fire extinguisher near the fire pit is a fast and easy way to extinguish the fire should you leave the campsite or get ready for bed. But, easy access to water can also minimize injury should an accident occur. Along with a water source, make sure everyone remembers the school exercise of “Stop, Drop, and Roll.” It may resemble a beginner’s form of Crossfit, but it reduces the severity of injury and saves lives.

4. Size does matter

As much as we enjoy making a statement with the size of our campfires, large bonfire-sized flames are dangerous (and illegal) in some public campgrounds. And don’t use accelerants on flames.

Brad Wiggins, R.N., from the University of Utah Burn Trauma Intensive Care Unit has concerns when he hears of people who use lighter fluid to increase flames.

“We have taken care of plenty of people where the flame follows the stream back to the container and explodes it over several people,” Wiggins says.

You certainly want a fire for a crowd to enjoy, but if your kindling mass resembles a sectional couch and some old end tables — it’s time to rethink the size of your campfire.

5. Remember the four C’s of burn first aid

Inevitably, that favored outdoor party game of jumping over the campfire until your crotch burns up is going to catch up with you. When it does, Matherly has some helpful first-aid steps until you can get help. Should injury occur, remember the four C’s of first-aid:

Cool the burned area with cool water. Not ice cubes or ice water.

Clean the area from soot and dirt.

Cover the burned area with a clean bandage.

Call for help. Most burn centers are open 24-hours every day.

We love our camping traditions. Every year, our trips bring on new adventures. But, this year, let’s make sure campfire safety is one of those new traditions.