Few campers are likely to mention campfire temperature when asked what factors they consider when establishing a camp. However, knowing how much heat comes from your fire can help you in certain areas.
First, you don’t want tents too close, especially if you left the campfire unattended. Depending on the wood the fire contained, it could spit and shoots sparks on your tents. Such a scenario may be rare, and there are other areas you need to know the average fire temperature.
The most significant area is that when campfire cooking. While the average campfire temperature may be enough to cook easy dishes and boil water, it could be too hot or too cold when cooking meat and fish. Another area is the choice of camping cooking utensils and pans.
The last thing you want is to have a fire on a campfire site that is way too hot and will melt your lightweight pans. Now, in our guide, you can learn how hot are campfire temperatures?
By the end, you’ll know enough about making a campfire that can hold an average fire temperature for cooking food properly, and it won’t be too hot until you reach the melting point with your aluminum cookware. (Find the Best Camping Chairs)
How To Tell How Hot Does A Campfire get?
A well-constructed, medium-sized campfire typically burns internally at around 900°F.
However, this is not a general rule since the temperature of a campfire can be influenced by the fuel utilized, oxygen flow, and of course, the size of the fire.
Over 2,000°F is the maximum temperature at which a large bonfire can burn.
Flame colors
If the colors in your campfire are different, the temperature won’t be even. Experts claim that each flame color shows:
White:
White will be present where the flame is most likely to come into contact with the wood.
This is typically, but not consistently, the hotter portion of the fire because it is the closest to the fuel source. The heat will decrease as you get further away from the fuel source.
Blue:
You might see a blue and white flare now and then. This is because the blue component makes the flame even hotter than when it is only pure white.
Blue flames usually appear when the hot campfire temperature reaches between 2,600°F and 3,000°F (1,427°C and 1,649°C). It burns the hottest in your campfire pit because it receives more oxygen than the other flame hues.
Orange/ Yellow:
Deep red flames are among the most common colors around a campfire. The temperature of intensely colored fires is probably between 1,100 and 1,650°F (593 to 899°C).
Flames that are orange or yellow show that the fire is burning at a temperature between 1,800 and 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit.
How Hot is a Campfire?
There are many variables affecting the temperature of a campfire, although here’s the short answer.
Internal Temperature:
The continuous flame zone or fires reach internal temperatures of around 1650°F in your fire ring.
Cooking Temperature:
You should expect temperatures of roughly 600°F above the flames, which they often call the thermal plume region, where no visible flames are seen.
Here is where you’ll prepare meals, and you’ll find the temperature drops when you increase the distance from the flames of the fire burning. (Read Is It Legal To Live In A Camper In Your Backyard)
Campfire Temperatures When Cooking
Typical campfires can get hot enough and melt aluminum alloy, but not a cast-iron frying pans.
Here you can see the average metal melting points for comparison.
- Aluminum: 1220°F
- Aluminum Alloy: 865-1240°F. The melting point depends on the type of alloy.
- Cast Iron: 2060°F.
- Stainless Steel: 2750°F.
Some camping cooking utensils are aluminum; aluminum melts when it gets too hot. Stainless steel can be a better option, yet if hiking, then it means more weight.
How hot a campfire is can be determined by the color of the flame; as we have seen, red shows a lower temperature, while blue represents significantly higher ones. White flames are the most intense of all the colors of flame.
How hot does a fire pit get, and what affects this?
A fire on a camping site can vary in heat compared to other fires because of varying factors. Here are some things to consider:
Size of the fire: The amount of fuel wood you have on will affect the total heat given out by your fire. A smaller fire may be suited to roasting marshmallows, yet a more significant fire could get too hot and be hot enough to melt an empty can.
Oxygen flow: Campfires in a metal fire-pit won’t burn as hot as those outside. They lack the same consistent supply of oxygen you often get from a light breeze when a fire is in the open.
Fuel Wood: Softwood, hardwood, and resinous, along with how dry the wood is, can all affect the overall heat.
Cedarwood offers steady heat while sleeping and keeping your campsite warm, while hickory burns hot and is suited to cooking.
Here is how other wood affects campfire heat?
- Oak: Here is a slow-burning hardwood that doesn’t spark much yet delivers plenty of heat.
- Ash: A fantastic lightweight firewood, which is common and readily found. It burns quickly without much smoke.
The heat of your fire is also affected by the level of dryness of the fuel. Dry wood will burn significantly better than damp wood, and as a result, it will reach significantly higher temperatures.
While more challenging to cut, these different kinds of wood burn at a different rate and deliver more heat.
You must not overlook the significance of tinder and kindling as these catch fire and are what enable you to build a fire. (Find the Best Places To Camp In Michigan)
Never attempt to start a campfire in strong winds because you risk endangering the environment and yourself. Layer the tinder and then build a teepee structure with your small twigs for your primary kindling.
As you have a steady flow of oxygen, you can add thicker twigs in the same formation. Once your fire starter burns well, you can slowly add your main fuel. Be sure not to suffocate your teepee structure.
Letting air enter the fire, flames are fed, and the heat is maintained. Note: Check the wind direction as a swift breeze can quickly increase your fire temperature and size.
Listed here are meats and the desired internal temperatures of properly cooked meats.
Steaks
- Rare: 118ºF
- Medium: 136ºF,
- Well done: 154ºF
- Lamb leg – medium-rare: 135ºF
- Pork tenderloin: 145ºF
- Chicken breasts: 165ºF
Besides meat cooking temperatures, it is good to know your average metal melting points. Knowing the temperature of a campfire is helpful for cooking, yet you need to ensure your gear can cope with it.
- Titanium cookware: 3,034°F
- Aluminum pots: 1,220°F
- Stainless steel pans: 2,750°F
- Cast iron skillets: 2,060°F
The oxygen is used up while the wood burns and makes the fire hot, which causes the fire to burn hot and reach temperatures of hundreds and thousands of degrees Fahrenheit. The fire requires excellent airflow beneath the substance being burned to burn hotly. Without it, the fire will extinguish or significantly cool.
Even when starting your fire, you need enough heat to get going, especially if all you can find is wet wood. It can take more fuel to enable your fire to maintain an average temperature once it can reach hotter temperatures.
Fire Safety Tips
Here are a few tips and safety measures you can read for a good fire.
- Kindling and safety matches are used to start the campfire in the fire pit.
- A fire-related post wouldn’t be complete without some safety advice. For example, firewood and safety matches are used to start the campfire in the fire pit.
- When not properly controlled, fire may be immensely deadly and devastating. Here are some suggestions for managing campfires.
- Be cautious when burning plants. Smoke from several plants, including rhododendron and oleander, can cause health issues.
- Never burn treated or pressure-treated wood in a fire you intend to use for cooking. The same is true with prefabricated building supplies; however, cook utilizing wood from trees.
- Have water on hand in case of emergency. For example, splashing water on a strewn ember is preferable to leaving it alone and allowing it to start a more significant fire.
- You can go one step further by moistening the earth surrounding your fire pit, but if you start a big fire, this will dry up very soon.
- Monitor your fire at all times. Then, it would do so without delay if something were to occur.
- If you’re present, you can usually act swiftly to put out the fire and regain control, but an unattended fire can quickly get out of hand and become dangerous.
- Keep your fire small in a secure location. It is ideal for creating a small pit about six inches deep and placing your fire inside.
- Remember that dirt doesn’t burn; all plant materials can. Clear the area around the fire pit of debris, such as dead grass or fallen needles. Give yourself lots of room to breathe.
- Always maintain your large fire in a fire pit or other specially designated, unobstructed area. The fire may become difficult to control or dangerous if it spreads outside of that area.
Putting Out a Fire
Following these instructions prevents leaving behind a campfire that might start again. It doesn’t matter how hot a campfire is; even if the temperature is low, it can spring back to life when not doused correctly. (Find the Best Hammock For Camping)
- Make sure your fire is out. As water removes heat from coals, you’ll need lots of water.
- Grab a fire-poking stick and scatter the still-burning wood pieces before putting out the fire.
- By dispersing them, the structure that removes airflow and speeds up cooling is eliminated.
- A fire can be put out by burning it, but coals may continue to burn for a very long time. The best action is to douse your fire in water to put it out repeatedly.
- Over the remaining coals, pour water. It’s acceptable that it will steam, smoke, and spit.
- Give it some time, then repeat the process.
