I had my first campfire of the season a few weeks ago in my backyard, and it didn’t exactly go as planned. My fire pit is under a tree, which already had me nervous, but my friends insisted it would be fine. «It’s just a little fire,» they said — right before accidentally creating the tallest flames I’ve ever seen in my life. It was so big we actually heard our neighbors say, «Whoa, look at their fire!» The tree survived, thankfully, though a few brave leaves were definitely sacrificed in the process.

Fall fires are supposed to be cozy and calm, right? You know, soft blankets, flannels, and deep talks under the stars? Yeah, not so much. Between the smoke constantly blowing in your face, someone burning their marshmallow into a torch, and the one friend who insists on poking the fire every five seconds, it’s always not as relaxing as you hope, but that’s half the fun.