Smokey Bear pays H.O. Brittingham a visit

H.O. Brittingham first-graders met a famous forest friend during National Fire Prevention week, but before he arrived the students learned the dos and don'ts of campfire safety.

“We want to protect our forests from wildfires,” said Laura Yowell, Sussex County forester for the Delaware Fire Service.

Yowell asked about 50 first-graders why trees are important and she received the right answers: shade, oxygen, food, shelter for animals and wood for construction.

Then she talked about fire safety rules, mostly focused on campfires. First-grader April Polk-Johnson, 6, said she remembers having a campfire and cooking s'mores. “We put it out with dirt,” she said.

April also knows not to play with matches.

“If you find matches you should give them to an adult and don't play with them,” she said.

Pointing to a poster showing a campsite rife with fire hazards, April and other first-graders enjoyed picking out what was wrong: pile of leaves too close to the campfire, someone smoking next to a can of gasoline and a shovel used as a pole were some of the potential fire hazards students spotted.

“It's probably not a good thing to use a shovel as a tent post,” Yowell said.

The first-graders responded with a resounding, “Yes!”

Before Smokey Bear made his grand entrance, Yowell reminded students about the five rules for fire safety:

• Only you can prevent wildfires

• Always be careful with fire

• Never play with matches or lighters

• Always watch your campfire

• Make sure your campfire is completely out before leaving it