I always bring one with me.  During rallies, we don't use them since we take advantage of the group fire for the company.

Look around for people getting rid of old fire sets at yard sales this spring.    I would also imagine a lot of stores will be doing clearances on that sort of thing come March.

I wrap a rag around the business end, and hold that on with a small bungee.  It keeps the soot from getting on other things.

Snow, I was going to post a pic of wedling gloves as well and say these are my tongs 🙂 

Tongs IMHO are a major PIA.  With a good pair of welding gloves you can grab a red hot burning log and place it wherever you want and know that it isn't going anywhere.  With tongs it is a balancing act since you are grabbing it in one place and it teeters, you don't have a "feel" for how the log is in the fire, etc.  My Dad had tongs for the fireplace at home growing up....he used them for a week and then put them in the corner and brought his welding gloves back out.

Sorry, but, in my training and experience, anyone who needs something like this to tend a fire has a fire that is just too damned big.

Reminds me of a trip to Martinak State Park a few (!) years ago. Night came, and, across the way, a family had a campfire (campfire; right) with flames that reached the bottom branches of the trees, some 6 or 7 feet over the fire ring. Pyromaniac idiots. For some reason, the Ranger -- on his next sweep through the loop -- stopped and went over and had a talk with them; the firestorm soon diminished.........................

JMHO.

I think there is a difference between a big fire, and an out of control fire.  I don't think the tools you use to maintain the fire have anything to do with it.  One major factor is the location of the fire in relation to the surrounding area.