The Druid Network

Foreword

We understand that an experienced person might find this guide a little simple and obvious, but we’ve seen some hair-raising scenes at some fests – including the fire falling over and blazing chunks bouncing into the assembled.

It wasn’t so long ago that a well-known television presenter’s daughter was scarred for life when her Hallowe’en costume caught alight from her pumpkin candle – and the mother is a very intelligent switched-on person.

One of us has personally put out blazing curtains with a fire extinguisher, they were tied back with a candle underneath (student days, the culprit bought the beers for that week) and seen the dark charred patch where someone’s glass ornament was focussing the sun’s rays onto a table.

One of us has worked in agriculture and seen someone collapse in a hollow whilst operating a chainsaw on a cold, windless day – the hollow had filled up with carbon monoxide. The HSE said it was quite common and happened with braziers and campfires as well. People didn’t notice that the fire was only glowing or flaming yellow.

In the Eighties, he spent several weeks in the Ashdown Forest, working with fire crews, rangers, local farm workers etc, putting out heath fires that kept travelling underground through the peaty soil and re-emerging sometimes hundreds of yards from the last site. The heath had to be ploughed and reploughed deeply to stop this process, wrecking the rare habitat. 

These things need to be said to folks who use fire. Sometimes we can get too focussed on the event and the ritual to consider the minutiae of the mundane, and it is the mundane we wanted to emphasise.

This simple briefing is to highlight dangers and suggest safe ways to avoid injury or destruction of habitats (including yours). If there is an injury or fire, then call the professionals on “999” or “112” on landline or mobile.

Green Raven and bish, for The Druid Network.

Contents

• Foreword
• Talking about fire
• But what is fire?
• Dangers from fire.
• Using fire in the home.
• The three factors of a fire
• Considerations before a fire-based ritual.
• And afterward
• Including the public in fire practices
• Fire Maintenance
• Fire Equipment
• Ritual Clothing
• Fire Maintenance

Talking about fire

In scientific terms is it a chemical process combining oxygen with combustible materials to produce heat, light and smoke. But there’s more; it is a process of transformation. With control it is a magical experience and the core of what took humans on a journey we still travel today. Without control, it is a hungry elemental demanding everything you have to give and more. Transformation itself is a process both sought and feared. This document seeks to provide information that may help fire users protect themselves and others. It is detailed but not exhaustive and does not provide any warranty or guarantee of safety in use. 

But what is fire?

It is a process that needs three things – fuel, oxygen and heat. Put them together and you have either a nice warm pretty thing or a raging inferno killing and destroying all in its path. To stop or prevent either, remove one of the three. 

To help in your assessment of risks, always identify:

• Sources of heat. Control sparks and embers as they leave a fire. Keep candles and incense in stable, heatproof holders on stable heatproof surfaces. 
• Sources of oxygen. Primarily that would be the air surrounding us but there may be enhancements. A light breeze blowing across the field will increase the supply of O₂ thus the intensity of your fire and accelerate the combustion of the fuel. A strong wind will do that more so and send flames, sparks and embers into those attending, surrounding vegetation or storage, and living places. Candles may be knocked over and smouldering incense sticks or cones blown into ignitable recesses and be difficult to retrieve in time.
• Shield the flames of your fire by choosing a sheltered yet clear area (disused quarry, small valley or natural depression but consider of flash flooding and tides) and consider cancelling or going without fire in higher winds. Keep accessibility for the differently-abled and elders in mind as well as quick, clear escape routes. 
• Sources of fuel. Insist that all furniture, tools, props and clothing present during the celebration or ritual are flame proof and flame retardant. Keep people and objects not ritually active, away from naked flame during proceedings.

Dangers from fire

• Smoke – This can be a killer. Smoke from plastic or oil contains cyanide and horrible stringy filaments that hang in the air. These get breathed down your mouth and nose, into your windpipe and lungs, blocking them and causing spasms. Never use plastic or oil. If you are meditating or trancing, smoke or fumes from an out of control fire can kill you without you ever being aware it’s happening. At home, install smoke and heat detectors correctly and check monthly that they are working. Outdoors, have people not directly participating keeping a fire watch. If you deliberately make smoke to inhale, it will probably give you cancer. Respect your body, respect the Earth, don’t inhale smoke.
  
• Carbon monoxide – A product of incomplete burning. The air that we breathe has two oxygen atoms stuck together (O₂) that we suck in and then attach to our red blood cells to take around our bodies and keep us alive. The carbon atom is almost the same size and weight as the oxygen atom. When carbon monoxide (CO) is formed by a faulty stove or inadequately vented fire, the combination is breathed in, sticks to our red blood cells just the same but won’t let go. Our blood gets clogged up and we die. There is a tell-tale ‘cherry red’ colour that people go when they die from this. Don’t light fires in tents. This can sometimes happen if your fire is in a low circular depression in the ground on a cold windless day or night. If the sides of the hollow are above your head and it is cold, find somewhere else. Get a monoxide detector in the home if you use wood or gas fires, stoves and boilers. 
  
• Steam – Steam is great. It clears the nose, unclogs pores and sweats out toxins. It’s the temperature of the air it’s in that might kill you. There are a lot of rank amateurs constructing sweat lodges for trances and ordeals that don’t realise that if your body core temperature reaches 40.0°C (104.0°F) or more, your brain will start to malfunction and die. The condition is called heat stroke. Only sweat lodge with an accredited expert.
  
• Another related danger is dehydration. You must drink plenty of water in a sweat lodge to replace the moisture being sweated out. An electrolyte mixture in the water is also important. Also true on fasts. Three days without water will kill you. Oh, and don’t let steam or hot water squirt onto you, like a kettle might, or it will give you a ‘wet burn’ or ‘scald’. Run a scald under cold water until it stops stinging and then get it to a hospital.

• In a sweat lodge, igneous rocks (granite or basalt) are heated in a fire and then taken to the lodge full of semi-naked people, put in a pile and water poured on for steam. Burns can happen. Keep clear. 
  
• Basalt and granite are safe as potato-sized rocks, but check them by, well before the event, heating them in a fire for 2 hours and then, using a shovel, heavy gloves and safety goggles, dropping them in a deepish pool of cold water and seeing if they survive without incident. 
  
• If water-absorbent or glass-like rocks (e.g. limestone or flint) are used then they will explode, showering all the semi-naked people with hot fragments, causing very serious injuries. Limestone can convert to highly caustic calcium oxide (quicklime) in fire. Don’t use any old rock.
  
• First aid kits are good. First aid courses with the Red Cross or similar are better. Do one.

Fire in the home.

Pagans like candles, smouldering incense, glass ornaments and mirrors. All of these can burn your home down if placed carelessly. 

Mirrors and glass ornaments can refract sunlight like a magnifying glass. Try to place them away from windows and take time to check if the light seems to pool in tightly focussed spots on sunny days. If so, move them somewhere shadier.

Candles and tea lights get knocked over. The melted wax is the fuel that produces fire and light. If a piece of cloth (carpet, curtain, chair arm) has molten wax and a flame applied, it will burn fiercely and may kill you, your friends and family or just destroy everything you own and cherish. 

Put candles and incense in stable, fireproof holders on top of stable, fireproof surfaces. Keep them away from curtains or house plants that might blow against them. Keep naked flames away from companion animals or children that might knock them over or touch them and get burned. Never place them under blinds or gathered up curtains as the heat will scorch and then ignite them. 

Never leave burning items unattended.

Never light tea lights or candles on ancient monuments. The smoke and wax damage them. Also, druids will curse you. 

So back to the three factors of a fire in a home:

The three factors of a fire.

• Fuel – Candle wax, table or altar cloths, furniture such as tables and chairs but also plastic or wooden representations of your gods and goddesses. All must be fireproof and flame retardant. Books on bookshelves are surprisingly difficult to light (remember Kurt Vonnegut’s book “Fahrenheit 451”? That’s the temperature needed to burn a book) but they may smoulder unnoticed to burst into flames later. A page of an open book is very easy to light. Keep your journals and how-to books well away from flames. 
  
• Heat – This is your ignition source, so matches, lighters, kitchen stove, incense, an already lit candle.
  
• Oxygen – This is the air of your home. Too little causes carbon monoxide production, too much – e.g. a sudden gust from an open window – causes flare ups. Shield naked flames in a proper holder.

Why not keep a couple of dry powder fire extinguishers and a fire blanket in the house or flat, as well as smoke or heat detectors – don’t forget to check that the detectors are working every month by pushing the centre button and replace the batteries annually, even if they seem good. Don’t use dry powder extinguishers on burning liquid. Use foam extinguishers on burning fluids or throw a fire blanket or a wet-but-wrung-out towel over the pan or pool to remove the oxygen (see above). Use a candle snuffer for candles or, at a pinch  , if you must use your fingers, make sure they are well moistened with water or spit.

Considerations before a fire-based ritual.

Decide approximately how many are attending and keep the gathering to that sizing. Don’t post your ‘party ’on your public Facebook page or similar.

It helps to draw a good sketch of the site, with all the activity, parking, standing and fixed spaces mapped out and a schedule of the ceremony, so that movement can be anticipated and planned for safely.

Given the number, what size of fire is required for the ritual/ festival? Where is the most appropriate venue to hold the festivity?

Careful thought must go into this. For instance, two fires are normally required for Beltane/ Bealtaine, often with people moving between them. A Samhain tradition is to jump over the fire.

For a fire bowl-sized fire, it is recommended by most manufacturers that the fire must be at least 3 metres from hedges or buildings (including wooden garden sheds, trellises and decking). That would be people too. And then some space between people, shrubbery, objects and buildings. You don’t want participants bumping or tripping over and into flames, altars or each other.

For full size (think November the 5^th type, head-height or higher) bonfires, then 15 metres from all other structures (including overhead power or phone lines) and plant growth is required by most insurance companies and local authorities (which would include police and fire service). These have to be carefully constructed by the experienced, so they don’t fall over onto the onlookers mid-burn. Never light a fire on top of peat or thick leaf mould – it will ignite and travel underground.

Thus, a fire bowl or brazier (or two) would be safe in most back gardens, but a full bonfire would require the use of a large field or cleared site, with owner’s permission (unless you own such grounds, of course). 

And afterwards

Put fires out by gently pouring water, smothering with a fire blanket or fire beater, shovelling on damp soil. Dry powder fire extinguishers work. Make sure nothing is left smouldering as it could flare up later. Go back to check later.

To recap, most dangerous situations can be avoided by planning the site, planning and rehearsing the ritual, appointing fire wardens and first aiders and above all, never leaving any fire unattended.

Including the public in fire practices

An event open to the general public is going to require public liability insurance and local council licensing dependent on many, many criteria being fulfilled. For professionals and seasoned veterans only.

Fire maintenance

• Pagan beliefs are distinguished by their reverence for nature. Please do not cut down living trees and bushes for your fire. There is always plenty of wood already fallen. Check your fuel stacks and built fires for living creatures sheltering, hibernating or just enjoying a tasty meal. 
  
• Having decided on your fire site then, using a spade, cut the turf and lift it away out of the shape of the fire and the heat affected area. Stack this, with the grass up and the roots down, in a shady area away from all people movement and heat, ready to replace later. After the ritual and celebrations, pour water on the ash until cold, remove all burnt material, loosen the soil, rake in leaf mould or fresh unburnt soil and replace the turf. Water well and gently firm down with your boot before leaving.
  
• Think about what fuel to use. Never use petrol to start a fire as the resultant fireball will hurt you and spoil your beauty. A handful of parched moss, birch bark and tiny sticks for kindling is all you need. Plastic, tyres and oil-soaked materials produce thick toxic fumes that can kill, injure and trigger cancer or existing breathing disorders. Creating thick smoke from damp plants or oil is actually illegal as it annoys people and can be a hazard on nearby roads. Dry seasoned wood, please. 
  
• How long do you want the fire for? Hefty chunk wood will burn for hours. Nice for sitting and chatting around until the dawn. If you want to leave the fire and go indoors for food and ale afterwards, then gather thin twigs from the woodland floor. In Africa, they talk about ‘granny sticks’ for cooking fires, that is, twigs so thin and dry, your granny could snap them. Producing a nice fast hot burn with pretty flames, they burn away to a fine white powder after about half an hour because the oxygen reaches the larger surface area of the fuel quicker. You can always add more fuel. In between the two are ‘faggots’ – bundles of granny sticks tied tight together (slowing the oxygen/ fuel mixing). You get a longer blaze that burns to almost nothing in a quarter of the time of chunk wood. The heat can be fierce though. 
  
• If scrap timber is being used, then watch out for long sharp splinters, nails, wire and glass still attached. Ditto in the ashes afterwards. Thick puncture-proof gloves are a must.
  
• Consider how much fuel you will needto illuminate your ritual for how long. Consider getting it to the fire site and, if a typical British festival, keeping it dry until ready to build and light your fire. Cut the wood to size well beforehand so that everything is ready to use before and during the rite.
  
• Around the fire, little burning sticks drop out. These must be put back in or people will tread on them, possibly flicking them up to cause burns or ignite clothes. Do not pick these up with bare hands. Even if seasoned, steam comes out of the non-burning end, scalding the skin straight off your hand. Use heavy leather gloves (the ‘rigger’ type are ideal), tongs or a shovel to throw them back in.
  
• Glowing embers. Sparks will blow off the top of a bonfire in winds. These may land in dry undergrowth or in roof spaces, starting a fire. If the winds are high or gusting, cancel the event or hold it without a fire. If you spot grass, leaves or peaty soil beginning to catch, smother it with your foot or use a fire beater. A fire beater is a purpose made, long stick with what looks like a black mat attached to it. Despite the name, don’t lift it up and down, striking at the glowing spot. That will only fan the flame. Instead, place the mat over the smoulder and press down on it, excluding the oxygen. Keep doing that wherever you see flames or red glows.

Fire Equipment

Some of the festivals require a Need-Fire. That uses a fire drill, hearth board and skill. A spade for the turf. For safety, a bucket of water and a bucket of sand are adequate for most garden fires – fire bowl, brazier or small pit. Anything bigger and you need a hose attached to a water source with good pressure. Out in the countryside, cattle troughs have piped water under pressure – bring a tap and a hose. Already mentioned were sturdy, puncture-proof, burn resistant gloves and a shovel. A couple of fire beaters. A first aid kit and a fire blanket, plus people who know how to use them. At least one person (preferably two) at a fire ritual should have recently taken a full first aid course.

If fire crews, medics or police attend, please quickly assure them that any knives, swords, staves or other apparent weaponry that they see are ritually purposed only and pose no threat.

Ritual Clothing.

Most commercially available robes and capes are made of light, synthetic fabrics to keep the price down. These are not usually imported as “clothes” but as “toys and novelties”. This means that they are not subject to rigorous fire-safety testing and are highly flammable as a scan of any after Hallowe’en newspaper will confirm. These plastics will burn with an intense heat and melt into your skin causing life-changing injuries requiring many years of treatment.

If you are a serious pagan practitioner, then your fireside attire will be of heavyweight wool, cotton or linen, and flameproof. Check to see if your wool cloak or cape has been lined with combustible nylon or similar. Sensible, skin covering, flat-soled footwear is important too.

Be aware of the first aid advice for burning clothing:

• Without burning your hands, get the person onto the ground – they are likely to be flailing and panicking.
• Roll them over and over to smother both flames and smouldering garments (exclude oxygen).

The easiest way to do this is to hold, clutching the back surface, a heavy woollen blanket (never acrylic or polyester – plastics will melt and stick) or purpose-made fire blanket out in front of you. Wrap them in it, enveloping their arms, and drop to the ground, taking them with you, by bending your knees and rolling sideways. This cushions their fall and adds weight to the smothering action.

If the person is burnt, do not remove the clothing as it will take skin and flesh with it. Treat for shock and gently keep pouring clean cold water (to remove the heat) onto the burn, call an ambulance using the 999 system. Keep pouring clean cool water until the ambulance crew take over.

If a minor burn (reddened skin, 50p size and under), once cool and clear of debris, dry the area, apply a burns dressing and then remove to immediate medical attention. Do not apply creams, ointment or butter. The medics and the patient will curse you if you do.

After your ceremony, hang around for an hour after the clean-up, then go back to check that everything is truly out, all embers are removed and nothing else has been left behind.

Leave it like you were never there.