(These all come from Smokey the Bear's INCREDIBLY DETAILED WEBSITE.)

1. Before building a fire, check to see if there is an existing fire ring or pit.

2. If a fire ring or pit does not exist, ensure that your campfire is built at least 15 feet away from anything flammable, including tents, trees, and foliage. Remember to look overhead!!!

3. Before digging a fire pit, make sure there are no laws in place protecting an archeological area from being shoveled.

4. Always make sure your fire stays small and easy to manage.

5. Children and pets should be supervised around a fire at all times.

6. When gathering firewood, you should always look for dry, dead branches. Never cut a live tree.

7. If possible, allow wood to burn completely to ash before attempting to extinguish a fire.

8. Pour lots of water on the fire to extinguish it. Dowse every ember, even the ones that aren't red.

9. Continue to pour water on a fire until the hissing sound stops.

10. Stir the ashes and embers with a shovel once they have been dowsed with water.

11. Before considering a fire is extinguished, make sure that everything is wet and cool to the touch.

12. If no water is available to extinguish a fire, use dirt. Stir the dirt into the embers until everything is cool to the touch.

13. DO NOT bury embers. They may catch fire to the root or tree of a plant, and the fire may surface later.

14. Never burn a pressurized or aerosol can.

15. If you plan to burn debris, first contact your local fire department to ascertain that it is legal in your area.

16. Before finalizing a plan to burn debris, make sure there is no sudden or strong gusts of wind that may blow embers where they might burn.

17. When you burn, make certain that your vertical clearance is at least three times the height of your pile.

18. The burn site should have at least ten feet of gravel or soil in every direction.

19. Keep the area surrounding your debris burning site wet.

20. If burning debris in a barrel, the barrel MUST be 100% metal.

21. Always remain with a fire until it is completely out.

22. It is illegal to burn almost anything that did not come from a tree or shrub.

23. Charcoal briquettes should be drowned before being placed in the garbage.

24. If you live near a forest, remember that a lawnmower can emit sparks that start fires. Use caution if it is hot and dry.

25. Always grind cigarettes, cigars, and pipe tobacco into dirt, NEVER into a stump.

All knowledge is power. Read enough factoids, and you provide enough electricity to light the city of Reno at night.

Can a cigarette really catch a stump on fire?

According to Smokey . . . yes.

And who are you to doubt him? He's a bear carrying a hatchet, for goodness sakes!!!

In reference to #12: Cool to the touch? I can see this scenario play out:

"OW! HOLY CRAP THAT'S STILL HOT!!! Okay, put some more dirt on it........Okay, here we go.......OOOOWWWW! Nope, not yet. Hey, can you get some more dirt? My skin is starting to peel off from my hand....."