Fire When Hot
Is there any reason to start a campfire when it is 87 degrees outside with high humidity?
A month ago I would have answered no. But we have witnessed this twice now on our adventure - during the week before the eclipse in Carbondale, Illinois where the temperatures were in the high 80s and 90s with high humidity - and again today in El Dorado State Park in Kansas. Two of our camping neighbors have started fires so far - the type we have come to expect - more smoke than flame. And I am not talking about starting them after the sun sets and maybe the heat breaks a bit. No, these fires have been started in the last few hours and it is only 7 p.m. now and still very warm.
No one appears to be cooking at either fire. No campers are even around them. What the fires are doing is polluting the already thick air with their smoke.
Why did these campers feel the need to start fires under these conditions? Is it some primitive need? Did they somewhere get the idea it isn't camping if they haven't started a fire? Can anyone shed light on why this is necessary?
To me it is simply a careless waste of resources and torture to those of us who value our lungs, our health, and fresh air. Fresh air is in short supply in this part of the campground tonight.
Temperatures are expected to reach the mid to high 90s Sunday and Monday. Will sanity prevail and the firestarters resist the urge those days? Experience tells me not to hold my breath, although that is exactly what I will be doing plenty of if the fires start.
Fire number three has just been started. A man started it and walked away. At least it is mostly flame for the moment. But good grief - we are surrounded by wood smoke on a hot September evening.
And there goes fire number four....
A month ago I would have answered no. But we have witnessed this twice now on our adventure - during the week before the eclipse in Carbondale, Illinois where the temperatures were in the high 80s and 90s with high humidity - and again today in El Dorado State Park in Kansas. Two of our camping neighbors have started fires so far - the type we have come to expect - more smoke than flame. And I am not talking about starting them after the sun sets and maybe the heat breaks a bit. No, these fires have been started in the last few hours and it is only 7 p.m. now and still very warm.
No one appears to be cooking at either fire. No campers are even around them. What the fires are doing is polluting the already thick air with their smoke.
Why did these campers feel the need to start fires under these conditions? Is it some primitive need? Did they somewhere get the idea it isn't camping if they haven't started a fire? Can anyone shed light on why this is necessary?
To me it is simply a careless waste of resources and torture to those of us who value our lungs, our health, and fresh air. Fresh air is in short supply in this part of the campground tonight.
Temperatures are expected to reach the mid to high 90s Sunday and Monday. Will sanity prevail and the firestarters resist the urge those days? Experience tells me not to hold my breath, although that is exactly what I will be doing plenty of if the fires start.
Fire number three has just been started. A man started it and walked away. At least it is mostly flame for the moment. But good grief - we are surrounded by wood smoke on a hot September evening.
And there goes fire number four....
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