One final tip to round out the fire tips portion of our Wandering Pledge from the last few weeks: Pay attention to what you burn. Most campsites, particularly at State Parks and National Forest campgrounds have their natural firewood supplies exhausted, particularly during peak season. So if you have to buy firewood, make sure you “buy it wear you burn it”. Don’t bring firewood from home and instead buy or collect it where you’re burning it. As a general rule of thumb this makes sure non-native insects and other pests don’t get introduce into sensitive ecosystems. If you are fortunate enough to collect firewood, collect firewood that is already fallen and on the ground. DO NOT bring a chainsaw or an axe and start taking down trees that are still alive. In many cases, you need special permits for this and the reality is you’re not going to be able to burn a fresh cut tree anyway as it’s not dried out or seasoned. So use wood that you find on the ground. A good guide is to not put any ...