Bonfires and other fires

Many Millennium Greens have fires of some sort, either as celebratory events, fires to get rid of things, barbecues or all three. Those who have fires generally have good experiences and many Greens have been burning things since they began. Obviously, there are issues of safety, local objection and official objection/involvement. If any Green is thinking of starting any form of fires for the first time, we would advise them to plan it carefully and prepare before, during and after their fire. In addition to the fires we plan to have, there are the unofficial fires that are lit by visitors and accidental fires. All Greens are urged to plan for these as the consequences can be serious.

Bonfires
Many Greens have some form of bonfire, this might be a small disposal fire, typically burning unwanted burnables on a volunteer session or up to huge fire at a public event, such as Guy Fawkes Night.

Bonfire Events
A number of Greens have Bonfire Night as a public event, possibly their biggest event of the year. Mawdesley Halton Village and Soulbury are examples of Greens who have big bonfires as part of Guy Fawkes/Bonfire Night Events. See Events

Barbecues
Obviously these are mostly about cooking food, although it is possible to use your wood or make your own charcoal on your Greens, but it must be remembered that these are still fires and care and precautions must take place. Also, the decision to be seen to have any of your own fires, including barbecues, may encourage others to have fires of some kind when your teams are not there.

Fixed Barbecues
Some Greens, such as Soulbury have fixed, usually brick built barbecues. They may put them in for the team's use, to welcome others to have a barbecue on their Green and/or to make the barbecues others are having anyway safer. New Southgate are reluctantly considering installing a brick-built barbecue because the local have dangerous barbecues and do stupid things like burning disposable bbq's on our wooden benches, scorching them, or even stupider, putting the hot disposable bbq's straight into the plastic bins.

Policy
New Southgate advises Greens to have a clearly established policy for all fires, so that one is ready to answer questions or deal with issues in a consistant way. This may or may not involve minuted decisions and published notices.

Safety
New Southgate only officially allow fires on the Green when a Trustee is present; they insist that a bucket of water is present for all fires including barbecues, and there is a small fire extinguisher in the tool locker. Checking that the extinguisher is in date, could be part of the same routine one might have for a First Aid Box.

Fire Brigade
It is best to consider contacting your local fire brigade and discussing policies, prevention and notification with them. New Southgate has had the fire brigade turn up, called by locals for a very small work bonfire.

Routine- before, during and after
For safety and other reasons, one migth establish routines for all fires.

Before
Plan the size, the position, allowing for where people will stand and pass the fire/bbq. Allow for where fuel will be stored, where the water will be etc.

During
All fires should probably be manned the whole time they are lit, allowing for unpredictable people, especially children and pets, such as dogs.

After
A plan should be in place for when the fire will be finished and safely dealt with, so that it is not hastily put out and left smouldering etc. Where will any residue go? What will be done to rectify any burn marks?