How much heat does a campfire produce?

A medium campfire produces roughly 25,000–35,000 BTU per hour, comparable to a domestic gas hob. A large bonfire can exceed 80,000 BTU/hr, while a small warming fire may only produce 6,000–10,000 BTU/hr. Output depends heavily on wood type, moisture content and fire management.

How much wood do I need for a campfire?

A medium campfire burns approximately 1.5–2 kg of dry hardwood per hour. For a two-hour evening fire you should gather or carry around 3–4 kg of seasoned wood. Softwood burns faster and hotter initially but burns out more quickly, so you will need more of it by weight to sustain the same duration.

How does wind affect campfire heat?

Even a light breeze (around 15 km/h) can reduce the effective warmth felt by 10–15% as heat is dispersed and the convective warming radius shrinks on the windward side. A moderate wind above 20 km/h can reduce effective warmth by up to 30% and makes fire management considerably more difficult. Always position yourself and your shelter to make use of any available windbreak.

What is the difference between hardwood and softwood for campfires?

Hardwoods such as oak, ash and beech produce more energy per kilogram (roughly 18,600 BTU/kg) and burn slower, creating long-lasting coals ideal for cooking. Softwoods such as pine and spruce ignite more easily and burn hotter initially but produce around 14,200 BTU/kg and leave less usable coal. For cooking fires, hardwood is strongly preferred.

CampCalcs

Campfire Heat Calculator — BTU Output & Wood Needed

Estimate heat output, wood weight and warming radius for your campfire based on fire size, wood type and wind conditions.

Fire Type

Select the size and purpose of your fire

Wood Type

Type of wood you plan to burn

Burn Time

How long you want the fire to burn

Wind Conditions

Ambient wind speed at your campsite

How We Calculate This

How the calculation works

Heat output is estimated from the base BTU output of the selected fire type, adjusted for wind energy loss:

Effective BTU/hr = Base BTU/hr × (1 − Wind loss factor)

Total BTU = Effective BTU/hr × Burn hours

Base heat output by fire type

Small fire: 8,000 BTU/hr
Medium fire: 30,000 BTU/hr
Large fire: 80,000 BTU/hr
Cooking fire: 18,000 BTU/hr

Wood consumption

Wood weight (kg) = Burn rate (kg/hr) × Hours

Burn rates range from 0.5 kg/hr for a small fire to 5 kg/hr for a large bonfire.

Warming radius

The effective warming radius is estimated from the fire type base radius, reduced proportionally for wind conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last updated: March 2026

All calculations are estimates. Always verify conditions and use proper safety equipment outdoors.