# What qualifies as a "bonfire"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 17, 2017, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-qualifies-as-a-bonfire/789152 "2017-06-17T01:02:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-qualifies-as-a-bonfire/789152/1 "2017-06-17T01:02:04Z")
My wife and I disagree on this. She: millennial, grew up in outstate Minnesota, from Norwegian stock. Me: GenXer, grew up in a college town in North Carolina (but my parents were transplants from NYC and Denver). ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-qualifies-as-a-bonfire/789152/2 "2017-06-17T01:23:00Z")
In my opinion, it’s an outdoor fire that’s lit for appearance rather than for a functional purpose like warmth or cooking. I think some people don’t count a fire as a bonfire unless it’s pretty big. But I’m flexible on that issue and I’ll count a relatively small fire as a bonfire as long as the intent is there. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-qualifies-as-a-bonfire/789152/3 "2017-06-17T01:35:00Z")
Anything bigger than a yard waste pile. Doesn’t have to be huge (or tragic) like [this](http://www.texasmonthly.com/the-culture/the-aggie-bonfire-tragedy/)to be a bonfire. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-qualifies-as-a-bonfire/789152/4 "2017-06-17T01:42:15Z")
For me, it’s a big-ass fire, like several feet tall, for the purpose of celebration or just burning crap, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-qualifies-as-a-bonfire/789152/5 "2017-06-17T02:05:54Z")
> [@steatopygia](#): > > Anything bigger than a yard waste pile. Doesn’t have to be huge (or tragic) like [this](http://www.texasmonthly.com/the-culture/the-aggie-bonfire-tragedy/)to be a bonfire. Growing up, yard waste fires were pretty big. For us, a “bonfire” was anything purely recreational that wasn’t in an off-ground container. A grill or those modern, patio fire things are not bonfires, but state campground firepits did count as bonfires. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-qualifies-as-a-bonfire/789152/6 "2017-06-17T02:33:10Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > For me, it’s a big-ass fire, like several feet tall, for the purpose of celebration or just burning crap, I guess. This is my view. Like there’s a zone at least the size of a big SUV where you can’t stand without immediate and severe injury. My wife says this little tray on her folks’ patio with some kindling in it is a “bonfire”, and I’m like LOL wut? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-qualifies-as-a-bonfire/789152/7 "2017-06-17T02:57:15Z")
Go to Google, search ‘Bonfire’ and go to images. Basically if the flames aren’t over your head, it isn’t a bonfire. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-qualifies-as-a-bonfire/789152/8 "2017-06-17T03:09:27Z")
Gotta have a pallet in it. Or logs too big for one person to lift. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-qualifies-as-a-bonfire/789152/9 "2017-06-17T03:18:22Z")
The phrase which comes to mind to me is “roasting marshmallows over a bonfire”. Such a bonfire is not going to be very large as you wouldn’t be able to get close enough to roast the marshmallows without hurting yourself at a large fire. Is no one else acquainted with this usage? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-qualifies-as-a-bonfire/789152/10 "2017-06-17T03:23:59Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > The phrase which comes to mind to me is “roasting marshmallows over a bonfire”. Such a bonfire is not going to be very large as you wouldn’t be able to get close enough to roast the marshmallows without hurting yourself at a large fire. > > Is no one else acquainted with this usage? I have not heard ‘over a bonfire’ used before, most often ‘campfire’ is used. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-qualifies-as-a-bonfire/789152/11 "2017-06-17T03:24:26Z")
A bonfire should feature drinking, dancing around the perimeter and possibly chanting. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-qualifies-as-a-bonfire/789152/12 "2017-06-17T03:25:12Z")
**Chimera** , **blondebear** , and **Gatopescado** , agreed. What generation/region are you? And how about those of you who think a smaller fire counts? ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-qualifies-as-a-bonfire/789152/13 "2017-06-17T03:45:01Z")
I am not very far from Minnesota. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-qualifies-as-a-bonfire/789152/14 "2017-06-17T03:56:50Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Gotta have a pallet in it. Or logs too big for one person to lift. Playing off of this: it must have at least one item in it that isn’t supposed to be burnt as part of its normal life cycle. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-qualifies-as-a-bonfire/789152/15 "2017-06-17T04:11:41Z")
The police or fire department needs to have been called by the neighbors. If you burn pallets, they have to be stacked above your head. Anything less is just another fire. Well, yes, I did have an interesting childhood. Thank you for asking. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-qualifies-as-a-bonfire/789152/16 "2017-06-17T04:34:04Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > This is my view. Like there’s a zone at least the size of a big SUV where you can’t stand without immediate and severe injury. My wife says this little tray on her folks’ patio with some kindling in it is a “bonfire”, and I’m like LOL wut? Your wife is wrong. That is an ashtray. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-qualifies-as-a-bonfire/789152/17 "2017-06-17T04:37:02Z")
A large, controlled outdoor fire that produces intense heat. I don’t have set specifications for “large” or “intense”, but I’d put the threshold somewhere around a fuel stack 4 feet across at the base and 3 feet high in the center, and hot enough in the center to burn bone\*. \*I choose bone as an example here for etymological reasons, as “bonfire” is derived literal “bonefires”. People throw all sorts of stuff in bonfires, though, including things that don’t burn readily. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-qualifies-as-a-bonfire/789152/18 "2017-06-17T04:40:40Z")
Bonfires are very large. Often several feet tall. The Order of the Arrow scouts built a 6 ft tall bonfire at the end of Scout Camp. All the scouts were there for the ceremony. A bonfire can be seen for miles. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-qualifies-as-a-bonfire/789152/19 "2017-06-17T04:45:06Z")
A Order of the Arrow Scout ceremony [https://goo.gl/images/E9nyFN](https://goo.gl/images/E9nyFN) ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-qualifies-as-a-bonfire/789152/20 "2017-06-17T05:13:12Z")
Google does turn up a few hits like this: > **[Beach Roast | Bonfires & S'mores at The Del](https://hoteldel.com/events/beach-smores/)** > > Yum! Available for both day visitors and resort guests, Beach S'mores at Hotel del Coronado offer your own fire pit, beach chairs, and gourmet add-on menu options. (Not sure which is worse: the wimpy “bonfire” shown if you scroll down, or the insane prices.) Or this: > **[30A Beach Bonfires, Golf Cart Rentals, Kayak Rentals, Paddle Board Rentals...](https://www.therentalshop30a.com/)** > > The Rental Shop 30A Offers Fast & Free Delivery;Call Now To Get Your Vacation Started 850-260-0001 We buy brand new inventory annually & take immaculate care of all our inventory. The Rental Shop 30A will be happy to supply all the fun with daily... Hmmm…detecting a pattern. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-qualifies-as-a-bonfire/789152.md?page=2)