How to Build a Fire
There is nothing quite like a roaring fire on a cold, winter night. Whether you are in the backcountry, or planning on a quiet night in your yard, building a fire is simple. All you will need is a few pieces of tinder and a flame.
Required Materials
- tinder – small twigs, brush scraps of paper, tiny brush
- slightly larger twigs, smaller pieces of non-processed tree wood
- smaller logs
- matches
Required Tools
- lighter
- matches
- hatchet if there is no cut wood or kindling
- bucket of water
Instructions
- Clean Fire Box or Fire Area - If this is the first fire of the season, clean the fire box out of any past ashes. If you are using a fire pit, remove any brush.
- Material Piles - Organize your fire building materials into piles by size. Tinder will be the smallest and will catch fire easily. Small to mid-size material should burn long enough to burn the next material size pile. The final material size should be large enough to burn for some time after catching fire.
- Placing Tinder - Place a small pile of tinder in the middle of the fire pit. It should be piled so that air can easily circulate through it. Lay a few sticks of the slightly larger tinder on top of the original pile.
- Lighting the Fire - Light the tinder and the slightly larger tinder on three sides at the base of the pile. Don’t be impatient. Give the fire a chance to burn. If the fire only smokes, your tinder may be damp. Give it a gentle blow of air to the smoldering areas. Gentle being the keyword.
- Adding Tinder - As the tinder catches, add some of the slightly larger tinder. You need to add the tinder so that the fire grows at your pace. Too much tinder will smother the fire. Add tinder so that the fire grows at a slow and manageable pace. Observe the coals at the base of the fire. This is where the fire will maintain itself. Build the coals for a long successful fire.
- Adding Larger Wood Pieces - As the fire begins to look established, you should start to gently add larger pieces of wood. The wood should not be too large, but also not too small. Place the wood in the shape of an equal sign with a cross on top of it. Add some smaller tinder if needed. The fire should be fairly strong by now.
- Adding the Final Size of Log - Once the fire gets started, you can add the final logs to the fire. The real trick here is not to add too much. Too many logs will cut off air flow to the coals. Add slowly and build the fire to its final height.
- Final Height - Building the fire to its final height depends on the amount of wood available and its size. The width of the fire pit should also be considered. Remember that you always need to build from the base of the heat, so take it slow.