You absolutely must make sure your fire is completely out before you leave.
As the fire begins to go out, push everything that is burning into a pile. This
will help ensure that it all burns up; you don’t want to leave chunks of charred
wood. Ashes only. The goal is to leave the campsite looking as if no one had
been there.
The fire should be cold to the touch when you leave. This means, you should
be able to touch the ground with your bare hands. Here are a few methods to
hurry the process along:
Water – Never pour water on a burning fire. Flick the water with your
fingers over the fire instead. Stir the dampened burning pieces with a stick.
Break the biggest pieces with the stick and turn smoldering pieces. Repeat this
process until nothing is burning and the ashes are completely cold to the touch.
Sand – The sand or dirt should have no flammable material in it. Stir it
into the fire, separating all the burning materials. Scrape large pieces with a
stick. Repeat until all the embers are out and cold.
Helpful Tips
Choose good, dry tinder.
Shield matches from the wind.
Use pieces of fuel that are not so large that they put out the flames.
Burn only seasoned hard wood.
Collect kindling and tinder on your way to the campsite.
Coat the tinder with insect repellent as an accelerator.