A girl enjoys a peaceful campfire at Fish Creek Campground. (Provided photo — Diane Chase)

I am the person in the family who doesn’t enjoy sitting by an outdoor fire ring. It doesn’t matter if it’s a campfire, bonfire or fire pit. I buy all the paraphernalia, but sitting next to a smoke-filled flame makes me want to shower. It doesn’t matter where I sit while enjoying the crackling sounds; the smoke finds me. It’s so consistent my children welcome my presence, hoping I’ll redirect any smoky fumes away from them. I’d rather be in front of a fireplace where smoke is supposed to go up the chimney.

I’ve never seen the importance of distinguishing between the various circular fire configurations. They have the same start sequence: Paper, kindling and wood, but subtle differences exist. How to build a fire may be similar, but each circular option creates a different group experience. People gather, sing, roast marshmallows or tell stories around a campfire. Campfires are a more intimate event and small in size. A person may also cook food or provide heat from a fire while camping. The activity is part of its name. (Please follow fire safety rules wherever you live because any flame can become a forest fire.)

A bonfire is considered a much larger and celebratory fire. You can’t usually talk to someone across a bonfire like you can while camping. People may also light a bonfire to burn yard waste and anything wooden to toss on the pile. According to Merriam-Webster, a bonfire doesn’t mean “good fire,” from the French word bon, but instead means bone fire. Yes, people. A 1486 reference indicates the current celebratory bonfire started as a fire made of bones. Thankfully, open-air bonfires are now a place to gather and have fun, not for burning clean bones. A bone fire isn’t the same as a funeral pyre, an open-air cremation. Please don’t try that at home. That type of Viking funeral is only legal in Crestone, Colorado.

Fire pits refer to the objects holding the fire. There are many different sizes and shapes, portable ones and permanent structures while allowing people to join the circle from all sides. The point of a fire pit is safety and to contain the fire. Please never leave a fire unattended.

I still attempt to join my family around the fire pit, but I move around, hoping to trick the smoke. Plus, someone has to push marshmallows and graham crackers on unsuspecting souls. Be safe, stay warm and enjoy good company unless you’re a Viking. Then it’s off to Colorado for you!