Check Fire Pit and Heater Spots and Tent Guy Lines Before Camping With Kids

Which accidents were most common in the Consumer Agency data?

A Korea Consumer Agency card news piece released ahead of the 2025 spring camping season lists injury types and causes among campsite accidents reported to the Consumer Injury Surveillance System. Fire, smoke, overheating and gas accidents were most frequent in March, it says.

All 8 poisoning cases were carbon monoxide poisoning. One of the main cases in the card news is an 11-year-old girl who lost consciousness and felt dizzy and nauseous after a charcoal fire pit was lit inside a camping tent.

How should the age figures be read?

The Korea Consumer Agency explained that parents in their 30s and 40s appear to have had accidents while camping as a family with young children, so guardians need to watch closely. That is why supervising children is the first rule.

The table describes who was hurt. The data does not say how many children went camping, so you cannot turn it into a claim that kids are several times as likely to be hurt as adults. Still, because heating gear was the item behind the most accidents, a household with children can reasonably start by deciding where the fire goes.

Where should a fire pit or heater go and how should it be used?

The National Fire Agency's seven safety rules say to use fire outside the tent and keep a set distance from it. Another rule says not to use stoves or heaters inside the tent. The guidance does not state the distance in meters, so check the number in the manual of the product you plan to use.

The steps below are an adaptation of that guidance for camping with children. They are not official wording, so the product manual and campsite rules come first.

1. Pick a spot for the fire pit or burner away from the tent entrance and from the paths kids walk.
2. While the fire is lit, have one adult stay at that spot.
3. Use a fire pit for campfires and charcoal, and when you finish, check for leftover embers and put them fully out.
4. Do not clear it away right after it looks cool, and keep kids from touching it.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the National Fire Agency counted 176 camping fires in 2021 to 2023 and said 53% were caused by carelessness such as leaving embers or flammable items nearby. That is why step 4 matters.

Where should tents and chairs be set up?

The Korea Consumer Agency advises setting up tents, chairs and hammocks on level ground and making sure no one trips over guy lines. Lacerations, at 111 cases, were nearly as common as the 114 burns, so falls and cuts are not something to brush aside.

The National Fire Agency's rules say to attach glow-in-the-dark cord or stoppers to lines so people do not trip, and to wear safety gloves when pitching and striking a tent. Tying glow cord onto a line is something you can do at home before you leave.

How should an enclosed tent be heated?

The Korea Consumer Agency's rule is not to heat enclosed spaces such as tents with charcoal, firewood, kerosene or gas. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the National Fire Agency also named charcoal heating inside a tent as a behavior with a high risk of fire and carbon monoxide poisoning.

The guidance goes on to say that while sleeping you should keep warm with a sleeping bag or a hot water bottle instead of a heater. If you must use a heater, ventilate often and use a portable carbon monoxide alarm along with it. What to look for in an alarm is covered separately in our camping carbon monoxide alarm article.

Where do I report an accident or a close call?

If you were hurt while using a product or came close, you can file a report through "Report hazard information" on the Korea Consumer Agency's Consumer Injury Surveillance System (www.ciss.go.kr), or call 080-900-3500 with no area code. If a child loses consciousness or has trouble breathing, call 119 before you report.

When you pack, decide a fire spot outside the kids' paths and check that you have packed glow cord for the tent lines.