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Burns: Basic First Aid and When It's an Emergency

Cool a burn with clean running water, cover it loosely, and skip the butter and ice. Red Cross signs that a burn needs 911 or the ER.

4 min read · Crew role: Sawbones · Shelf: First Aid

Not medical advice. From Red Cross and Mayo Clinic public guidance. Take a first-aid class. For any serious burn, call 911.

What it's for

Camp stoves, cast iron, coffee, and campfires all burn. Quick, plain first aid helps with pain and keeps a small burn from getting worse, and knowing the danger signs tells you when to stop and call for help. The Sawbones has this one; the Cookie should know it too.

Before you need it (practice)

  • Take a Red Cross first-aid class, which covers burns.
  • Know the emergency signs below by heart.
  • Know your water. The Red Cross says cool burns with clean running water, the kind you could drink. Have some on hand at camp.
  • Prevent burns at home. The Red Cross suggests setting the water heater at 120°F or less (100-115°F for children or older adults), keeping flammables away from heat, no loose clothing while cooking, using back burners, and turning pot handles to the back.

Step by step

1. Make it safe, then check

  • Check the scene and put on gloves (Red Cross).
  • Electrical burn? Make sure the power source is off before you touch the person (Red Cross).

2. Is this an emergency? (Red Cross)

Call 911 for burns that:

  • Go through deep layers of skin, fat, muscle, or bone
  • Are on the face, mouth, nose, hands, feet, joints, or groin
  • Wrap around a limb, the chest, or the neck
  • Are electrical, chemical, radiation, or explosion burns
  • Happen to the very young or elderly, or someone with other injuries or medical conditions
  • Cover a large area of the body

Mayo Clinic adds: burns larger than 3 inches across, skin that looks dry, leathery, or charred, burns with smoke inhalation, and burns that swell very fast.

3. Cool it (Red Cross)

  1. Remove clothing or jewelry at the burn site, unless it's stuck to the burn.
  2. Hold the burn under clean, cool, running water for 5-20 minutes. Lukewarm is okay if cool isn't available. (Mayo Clinic says about 10 minutes for a minor burn.)
  3. No running water? Use a cool or cold compress, like an instant cold pack, not ice.
  4. Cooling a large area? Watch for signs of getting too cold (hypothermia), especially in children.
  5. Don't try to clean a severe burn. It can cause more damage.

4. Cover it

  • Loosely cover it with a clean, dry, non-adhesive dressing like sterile gauze (Red Cross).
  • Don't use adhesive bandages on the burn. They stick and can cause more damage.

5. Chemical burns (Red Cross)

  • Gloves first. Brush off dry powder with a gloved hand or cloth; flush liquids with water.
  • Cool with clean, cool, running water for at least 15 minutes. If it's in the eye, flush until EMS arrives.

When to go to the hospital

The Red Cross says go if a child was burned, the burn blisters, it affects more than one body area, it covers the hands, feet, joints, face, neck, or genitals, it covers a larger area like the trunk or limbs, or underlying tissue is visible. The Red Cross also says any burn deeper than the top layer of skin needs medical care. Mayo Clinic notes a deep burn may need a tetanus booster if it's been more than five years.

Common mistakes

  • Butter, oil, or toothpaste. The Red Cross and Mayo Clinic both say no: greasy things seal in heat.
  • Ice. The Red Cross says ice can further damage the skin. Use water.
  • Popping blisters. Mayo Clinic says don't; they protect against infection.
  • Pulling off stuck clothing. Leave it.
  • An adhesive bandage on the burn.
  • Touching someone still in contact with electricity.

Care & storage

Related gear

Sources

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