How to Start a Fire During Your RV Trip: The Complete Campfire Guide for RV Campers

Key Takeaways

• Check fire rules before you set up.
• Use the designated fire ring only. Never build a new fire pit at your site.
• Keep your fire at least 15 feet from your RV, awning, tents, and neighboring units.
• Buy firewood near the campground. Don't bring it from home.
• Build your fire in stages. Start with tinder, add kindling, then add firewood.
• Extinguish the fire completely before leaving or going to sleep.
• If fire bans are in effect, use a camp stove or propane grill where permitted.

Quick Reference

This guide covers everything you need to know about building a campfire at an RV site. You'll learn how to check the rules, set up safely, build a fire that catches, and extinguish it properly before you call it a night.

Let's start with the step most RV campers skip.

Can You Have a Campfire at an RV Park? Check First

Not all RV parks allow open fires, and the rules vary more than most people expect.  

What Affects Whether Fires Are Allowed?

Several factors determine if you can have a campfire at your RV site: 

• Seasonal Fire Bans: Dry conditions, strong winds, and elevated wildfire risk can trigger fire bans. A campfire that was allowed last weekend may not be allowed today.
• Campground Rules: Every RV park sets its own fire policies. Some allow fires only in designated fire rings, while others prohibit wood-burning fires altogether.
• Local and County Restrictions: Local fire agencies can impose restrictions that override campground rules. During periods of high fire danger, those measures may apply to campfires, grills, stoves, and other open flames. 

Where to Check Before You Light

Ask the campground host or front desk when you arrive. You can also check Recreation.gov for federal lands, your state's forestry or parks website for state parks, and the campground's website for current fire policies.

If fires are banned, use a propane camp stove or a portable propane fire pit where allowed. Many RV parks also allow charcoal grills, even when they prohibit open wood fires.

Assuming fires are permitted, here's how to set yours up safely around your RV.

Campfire Setup at an RV Site

Always Use the Designated Fire Ring

Most RV sites have a fire ring. Use it every time. Campgrounds place these rings in approved locations. They help contain embers and keep fires away from utility connections, utility boxes, and neighboring campsites. 

Don't build a new fire ring elsewhere on your site. Most campgrounds prohibit it, and improvised fire pits on grass, gravel, or near utilities pose risks. If your site doesn't have a fire ring, request another site or skip the campfire.

Clearance and Distance

Keep your fire at least 15 feet away from your RV, awning, slide-outs, neighboring rigs, and tents. Before you light anything, retract your awning and check for low-hanging branches overhead.

Clear dry leaves, grass, camp chairs, and other gear within a 10-foot radius of the ring. Keep a bucket of water within arm's reach.

The 3-Type Fuel System: Tinder, Kindling, and Firewood

Most campfires fail because folks use tinder, kindling, and firewood in the wrong order. 

Tinder

Tinder catches the first spark. Good options include dry bark, wood shavings, crumpled paper, cotton balls, and homemade wax-and-lint starters. If it bends instead of crumbling or snapping, it's too wet to use.

Bring tinder from home whenever possible. RV campgrounds get plenty of foot traffic, and other campers often collect the easiest-to-find dry material first. 

Kindling

Kindling builds the heat needed to ignite larger wood. Use dry sticks ranging from pencil-thickness to thumb-thickness. Dry kindling should snap cleanly, not bend. 

Most beginners underestimate how much kindling they need. Gather extra before you light the fire.

Firewood (Fuel Logs)

Firewood keeps the fire burning once the kindling forms a steady bed of coals. Buy firewood at or near the campground. Look for wood stored off the ground or labeled kiln-dried. Avoid bringing firewood from home. Invasive pests can travel in firewood and damage local forests. 

Struggling to find dry wood? Spark Firestarter solves that problem. Fill it with 10 oz of rubbing alcohol and enjoy up to 10 minutes of steady flame. That's often enough time to ignite slightly damp wood and stubborn logs. 

How to Build a Campfire: Two Methods That Work

Once you have your tinder, kindling, and firewood ready, use one of these two campfire structures. Both are beginner-friendly and work reliably when built correctly.

Structure 1: The Tepee (Best for Getting a Fire Going Fast)

1. Place a small bundle of tinder in the center of the fire ring.
2. Lean dry kindling sticks around the tinder to form a cone shape.
3. Leave a small opening facing the wind so you can light the fire and allow air to reach the center.
4. Lean slightly larger sticks around the outside of the kindling to create a second tepee.
5. Light the tinder through the opening at the base of the structure.
6. Add larger pieces of wood around the outside as the fire grows.
7. Keep feeding the fire gradually as the structure burns inward and creates a bed of hot coals.

Why does it work? The cone shape pulls air into the center of the fire. This helps the tinder and kindling catch quickly. As the wood burns, hot embers fall onto fresh fuel below. Those embers ignite nearby wood and spread the fire. 

Structure 2: The Log Cabin (Best for Cooking and Longer Fires)

1. Lay two larger logs parallel to each other, about 1 to 2 feet apart.
2. Place your tinder bundle in the center between the logs.
3. Lean small pieces of kindling around the tinder so the tops meet near the center, creating a cone shape. 
4. Lay two more logs across the top in the opposite direction to create a square shape.
5. Stack additional layers in alternating directions until you build a small "log cabin" around the center.
6. Light the tinder in the middle of the structure.
7. Let the fire burn through the kindling and into the surrounding logs.

Why does it work? Gaps between the logs allow air to flow through the fire. The structure burns slower and more evenly than a tepee fire. As the wood burns down, it creates a steady bed of hot coals that works well for cooking. 

Quick Comparison

How to Extinguish a Campfire at Your RV Site

A campfire that looks out may still contain hot coals beneath the ash. Those coals can stay active for hours and start a fire. 

The Drench Method

Stop adding firewood 30 to 60 minutes before you plan to leave or go to sleep. Then pour plenty of water over the entire fire, including the ash and any remaining embers.

Stir everything thoroughly with a stick. This exposes buried hot spots that can reignite later. Pour more water, stir again, and repeat until the hissing stops completely.

The Touch Test

The ashes should feel completely cold. Don't rely on visible flames alone. Hot embers can remain buried beneath the ash and reignite later. If the ashes feel too hot to touch, the fire is not fully out. 

If You Have No Water

Water remains the safest and most effective option. If you don't have water, use dry, mineral-rich sand or soil. Avoid dirt that contains leaves, roots, grass, or other organic material. Those materials can smolder beneath the surface and reignite later.

1. Spread the remaining coals and partially burned logs apart with a shovel or stick. This releases trapped heat and helps the fire cool faster.
2. Cover the embers with a thick layer of dry sand or mineral soil. Stir the sand into the ash and coals until the hissing stops and no smoke or glowing embers remain. 
3. Hold the back of your hand a few inches above the ashes and check for heat. If you feel any warmth, add more sand and stir again.

RV Campfire Quick-Start Checklist

Before You Leave Home

• Check fire restrictions.
• Pack a long-handled lighter, dry tinder bundle, and a water bucket. 
• Buy firewood near the campground.

At Your RV Site

• Confirm fire rules at check-in.
• Retract your awning before lighting.
• Use the designated fire ring only.
• Clear a 10-foot radius around the ring.
• Keep a water bucket within arm's reach.

Before You Sleep or Leave

• Stop adding firewood 30 to 60 minutes beforehand.
• Drench the fire with water.
• Stir the ashes and drench again.
• Confirm the ashes feel cold to the touch.
• New to camping? Take a look at our beginner's guide and free camping checklist to make sure you don't forget anything. 

Burning Questions 

Can you have a campfire at an RV park?

Many RV parks allow campfires in designated fire rings. Some parks ban open fires during dry weather or active fire restrictions. Always check the rules before you travel and confirm them at check-in.

How far should a campfire be from an RV?

Keep your campfire at least 15 feet from your RV, awning, slide-outs, tents, and neighboring units. Retract your awning before lighting the fire. Clear dry debris within a 10-foot radius of the fire ring.

Can I bring firewood to an RV campsite?

Buy firewood at or near the campground whenever possible. Avoid transporting firewood across county or state lines. Invasive pests can travel in firewood and damage local forests.

Is it safe to have a campfire near an RV?

Yes, if you follow basic safety rules. Use the designated fire ring, keep a safe distance from your RV, clear flammable materials, and keep water nearby. Never leave a fire unattended.

Why does my campfire keep going out?

Wet wood, damp tinder, poor airflow, and oversized logs often cause campfires to fail. Build the fire in stages. Start with tinder, add kindling, then add larger pieces of firewood. 

What should I never burn in a campfire at an RV site?

Never burn treated wood, painted wood, plastic, foil, or other man-made materials. Avoid wet or green wood because it creates excess smoke. 

Final Notes for RV Campers

RV campfires don't need to be complicated. Check the rules, use the designated fire ring, build your fire in stages, and keep a bucket of water nearby. 

When the night winds down, extinguish the fire completely and leave the site better than you found it. Respect the campground and enjoy every minute around the fire.