Originally Posted by Rowan

Increasingly, open fires are being discouraged, and even outlawed in Australia because of the very real bushfire dangers they present, especially in summer. In World Heritage Areas such as the South-West of Tasmania, open fires are banned, and if you want to cook, take a stove; if you want to stay warm, take more clothing.

I've also been in one North American campground where the woodsmoke from a succession of campfires was disgusting. Like everything else, there are people who know how to build and burn fires with the right wood, and there are those who have a romantic idea, but have no clue.