AcenderSecção 04
Pederneira (ferrocério)
Why: acende com faíscas mesmo molhada. Leva-a junto com isqueiro e fósforos.
Essential guide · Base level · 7 min
Essential guideBase level · open to all7 min read
Fire outdoors: when it's allowed, how to light it and how to put it out
Before lighting, the law: at «very high» or «maximum» fire danger, no fire at all in Portugal's rural areas. Then the safe site, the three layers of fuel and how to put it out for good — drown, stir, feel.
Reviewed 5 Nov 2026
01·AFire outdoors
In 30 seconds
The essentials, in four points.
Banned
In Portugal, any kind of fire in rural areas is forbidden when the municipality's wildfire danger is «very high» or «maximum». Always check IPMA before lighting.
3 m
diameter of cleared ground around the fire, and at least 4.5 m from tents, scrub and low branches. Water and a shovel always to hand.
Thin → thick
Prepare everything before lighting: tinder, thin kindling, thicker kindling, fuel wood. Thick wood only goes on once the fire is established.
Cold to touch
To put it out: drown with water, stir, drown again and feel with the back of your hand. If it's still hot, you can't leave.
01Why it matters
In Portugal, a badly made campfire can be the next wildfire.
Fire is one of the oldest and most useful outdoor skills. It's also one of the most dangerous in a country with hot, dry summers and a lot of scrubland. So this guide starts with the most important question — can I make a fire here, today? — and only then shows how to light it and put it out properly.
What to do if there's a wildfire near you is in the Wildfire guide, in the Emergencies module.
02Before you light
Can I make a fire here, today?
1
Is the municipality's rural fire danger «very high» or «maximum»?
Yes
Don't light itAny kind of fire is forbidden in rural areas and on the roads through them. Cooking fires are only allowed in places designed for it, such as equipped picnic parks.
No
2
Are you in a protected area or somewhere fire is banned?
Yes
Don't light itRespect the rules and signs. If in doubt, ask the municipality, ICNF (the nature conservation agency) or the GNR.
No
3
Is it windy, is there dry scrub around, or do you have no water to put it out?
Yes
Not the right timeUse a camping stove somewhere safe, or wait for better conditions.
No
If you answered «no» to everythingChoose and prepare the site (section 03) and never leave the fire unattended.
03The site
Cleared, set back, with water to hand.
Plate 01·B — The campfire siteMinimum distances
1
Use an existing fire site (a stone ring or a picnic-park fireplace) whenever there is one.
2
Clear a circle 3 m across: down to bare earth, with no leaves, pine needles, grass or dry roots.
3
Stay at least 4.5 m away from tents, scrub and branches. Overhead, leave clear space of at least three times the height of the flames.
4
Water and shovel before lighting, not after. And someone always watching, especially with children and pets around.
5
Keep the fire small. A small fire warms and cooks just as well, and is much easier to control.
04Lighting
Tinder, kindling, fuel — in that order.
Plate 01·C — The three layersFrom thinnest to thickest
1
Prepare everything before lighting: a good handful of tinder, twice as much kindling as you think you'll need, and fuel wood ready beside you. A flame with nothing to feed it dies in seconds.
2
Everything must be dry. Dead wood still attached to trees is usually drier than wood on the ground. Splitting a wet stick reveals the dry inside.
3
Carry more than one way to light it: a lighter, waterproof matches and a ferrocerium rod, kept in a dry bag.
4
Shield the small flame from the wind with your body, and give it air: too much wood on top smothers the fire.
5
Only then, the fuel: a little at a time, as the fire can take it.
05Putting it out
Drown. Stir. Feel.
Step 1
Drown
Pour plenty of water on the embers until the hissing stops.
Step 2
Stir
With the shovel, mix the water into the ash, earth and embers. Scrape half-burnt sticks. Pour on more water.
Step 3
Feel
Hold the back of your hand near the ashes, without touching. If you feel heat, repeat. If it's too hot to touch, it's too hot to leave.
06Six costly mistakes
Outdoor fire myths — and what to do instead.
Myth
“A small fire can't do any harm.”
One spark can start a wildfire. At «very high» or «maximum» danger, any kind of fire in rural areas is banned.
Myth
“Covering it with earth is enough.”
Embers can smoulder underneath for hours. Drown with water, stir and feel.
Myth
“Leave the fire to burn itself out.”
Never leave while the fire is lit or the ashes are warm.
Myth
“The more wood, the better it catches.”
Too much wood smothers the flame. Thinnest to thickest, a little at a time.
Myth
“A stove inside the tent warms the night.”
It produces carbon monoxide, which kills without a smell. Stay warm with clothing and a sleeping bag.
Myth
“In an emergency, I'll make fire by friction.”
Carry a lighter and matches. Friction is practised, not improvised.
07Recommended equipment
Light it safely, put it out for sure.
More than one way to light a fire, kept dry, and always a way to put it out. For cooking, a camping stove is safer than an open fire.
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AcenderSecção 04
Fósforos à prova de água
Why: acendem com vento e depois de molhados. Guarda-os num saco estanque.
AntesSecção 02
Fogareiro de campismo
Why: mais seguro do que uma fogueira para cozinhar, sempre ao ar livre.
ApagarSecção 05
Pá dobrável
Why: para limpar o local e mexer as cinzas ao apagar.
AcenderSecção 04
Saco estanque
Why: mantém a isca e os fósforos secos.
Quick card
Print it. Keep it with your camping gear.
Keep it with your stove and camping gear.
Fire outdoors · K72 sheet
1Danger very high / maximum: no fire at all in rural areas
2Protected area or no-fire sign: don't light it
3Cleared circle 3 m across · 4.5 m from tents and scrub
4Water and shovel before lighting · never unattended
5Tinder → kindling → fuel, thin to thick
6Put out: drown, stir, drown, feel — cold to the touch
01·A · k72plus.comEMERGENCY: 112
- Decree-Law 82/2021 (Integrated Rural Fire Management System), consolidated — articles 66 and 67 (in Portuguese) — campfires and any fire at «very high» or «maximum» danger
- IPMA — Rural fire danger (in Portuguese) — daily danger by municipality
- USDA Forest Service / Smokey Bear — Campfire safety — 10 ft cleared circle, 15 ft from tents and vegetation, drown-stir-feel
- US Army — FM 21-76 Survival Manual, chapter 7: firecraft — tinder, kindling and fuel
- CDC — Carbon monoxide poisoning basics — never use stoves or heaters in enclosed spaces
Reviewed 5 Nov 2026 · Next review: Mar 2027 · Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
This guide does not replace local rules or official instructions. If you see a wildfire in Portugal, call 112.