Firewood: Firewood and kindling are for sale at Ontario Parks, saving you the hassle of packing and bringing it with you. Ontario Parks does not allow the collection of firewood in campgrounds because:
Leave your firewood at home! If you bring firewood from home, you could spread insect and plant diseases that threaten the health of our forests. Several areas in Ontario are under quarantine and wood cannot be moved from these areas to prevent the spread of invasive insects and disease.
Before Building Your Fire:
Pro tip: Learn more about what equipment is allowed during a fire ban here!
Building a Campfire: Follow these steps when starting your campfire:
1. Add tinder
Tinder is any fine flammable material easily lit by a match (e.g., shredded newspaper, cardboard, dryer lint, tiny sticks and fine dried plant materials). Although tinder lights quickly, it usually only burns for a short period of time. Its job is to help catch the kindling (small pieces of wood) on fire. Be aware that in humid weather, newspaper can absorb moisture and not be as flammable.
Pro Tip - try using a commercial fire starter when lighting your campfire. Qwick Wick is the only firestarter that will burn for 30 minutes and is guaranteed to start your campfire!
2. Add kindle
Kindling is small split pieces of wood that will catch fire from the tinder. Smaller pieces of wood always light faster than larger pieces of wood, but they burn faster as well. We use kindling because tinder does not burn long enough to catch larger pieces of wood on fire.
Pro Tip - fire loves oxygen. If you build your fire with too much wood, it will smoke and go out. Make sure you build a fire that allows for plenty of air flow.
3. Light the tinder
Pro Tip - once you start to hear the fire crackle you can be assured your kindling is burning. It’s time to start adding larger pieces of wood.
4. Gradually add larger wood
5. Enjoy your Campfire
6. Extinguish your Campfire
Repeat these three steps until: