Fuel Canisters and Fire Pits Don’t Mix
By Rocky Thompson on June 9th, 2009
Visitors to the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park (the Porkies) found a wonderful surprise in their fire pit. A buried fuel canister exploded and three members of the group had to be taken to the hospital for treatment. They’re all okay. I would be the first to point a finger at the ninja whose been sneaking around burying fuel canisters in remote Wisconsin state parks, but come on, this was a high school group. Before the Governor gets on TV telling everyone to dig around their fire pits to check for hidden fuel bottles, maybe they should shake down the kids and find out what really happened. Still, sounds like a fun trip.
via Backpacker
That should state “Michigan State Parks”
When i was a teenager, the campfire was the center of our bad decision universe. Things like……”How did the rangers find us after we were spraying the fire with lighter fluid and making it 10 feet high?” Its a miracle any young male lives beyond those years….so yeah, I’m sure the fuel canister was buried under the fire pit before the got there.
Please don’t build another one. If you do have to build a fire (of course, in an area that allows it), build a small one in an area cleared of all flammable material. Before you leave your campsite, be sure to return the site to as pristine a condition as possible. Make sure the fire is DEAD OUT and mix the ashes with dirt and bury them.