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A campfire, also known as a bonfire, is an essential centrepiece for a night at the beach or any other campsite.
It helps keep you and other campers warm, and it is also a source of heat for cooking and roasting marshmallows.
However, it can get incredibly hot if it is not appropriately handled.
How hot is a campfire?
A campfire’s hotness differs depending on several elements, like the type of materials used to make it.
The three elements required to build a campfire are; oxygen, fuel, and heat. The fire forms as a result of the interaction between wood and oxygen.
Therefore, wood needs about 15 per cent oxygen to burn. The amount of oxygen and fuel available affects the temperature of the fire.
However, it is worth noting that a campfire can get as hot as 1100 degrees Celsius. This is enough heat to melt a solid metal like aluminium.
Therefore, you ought to be careful when dealing with campfires. You can tell the temperature of the campfire using the type of colour.
For instance, you can tell if your campfire is at its hottest point if it displays a deep red colour.
How hot are campfire coals?
Coal requires about 16 per cent of the oxygen in the air to burn.
Therefore, the more oxygen it gets, the hotter it burns. With that said, the most straightforward answer to this question is that the temperature of the coal depends on how well-built the campfire is.
A well-built campfire will naturally feature higher temperatures than the latter.
First, the coal needs to be piled correctly so that it allows oxygen to pass through it. Most coal starts combusting at 300 degrees Celsius.
However, the more the gages burn, the more the temperature of the coal increases. Campfire coals can get as hot as 600 degrees Celsius.
What’s the hottest part of a campfire?
Any type of flame, including a campfire, features three parts. The red, blue and yellow part. The hottest part of the campfire is the red part.
The hottest part of the campfire is the blue part, which sometimes appears to be white.
This part of the flame can quickly get to 910 degrees Celsius or more. This is the part with the most oxygen reaction.
What’s the hottest part of a campfire for cooking?
Cooking over a campfire is one of the best parts of a camping experience. As mentioned earlier, the hottest part of a campfire is the blue part.
This is, however, not the best part of cooking because your foods can overcook quickly. Note that extreme temperatures can make certain foods go bad.
For instance, coffee needs between 195-205 degrees Celsius and anything hotter could make it go bad.
Therefore, the hottest part of a campfire for cooking is the red or yellow part. This part features enough heat to make different types of foods.
Note that you can cook different types of foods on a campfire, like bread, kebabs, corn, marshmallows, and hotdogs.
I am an independent safety and survival expert and consultant. I have over 15+ years of experience working with corporations and individuals to help identify, remediate and prepare for threats and and disasters. I help clients understand risks and blog about my thoughts and techniques at DisasterShelters.net