How to Start a Fire in a Pot Belly Stove

Starting a fire in a pot belly stove may seem easy but can be somewhat challenging. Here's what has worked best for me.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Small Kindling
• Matches or other ignition source
• Newspaper

1. For the best results, make sure the old ashes from any previous fires are removed. Start by shaking down the grate inside or use a poker to break down any residue in the belly of the stove. Then shovel out and properly discard the ashes. This will allow the maximum amount of air to enter below the fire.

2. After closing the ashes door, open the vent on the bottom door all the way.

3. Crunch several pieces of newspaper up into snowball-sized balls and place them on the bottom grate. Make sure to add enough to cover the entire grate and add a couple extra in the center.

4. Take several small pieces of kindling chopped down from a pieces of firewood (oak works best) and lay them in on top of the rolled up newspaper, leaning into one another forming a small "tee-pee" in the center of the pot belly.

5. Next, use your matches or other ignition source to carefully light the newspaper inside the tee-pee of kindling first then the outside.

6. Close the door to the pot belly and open the vent on the main door to allow the most airflow. Monitor your fire closely feeding it extra kindling if necessary. When you have established a good fire with the kindling, add regular sized firewood logs to the pot belly in the same tee-pee like fashion. If your stove can use coal, add coal periodically to increase heat.

7. Once the fire is steady, you can regulate the amount of heat by opening or closing the ash door vent and the main door vent. Closing the ash door vent all the way will hold more fire for an extended period of time.

Tips & Warnings

• A trick to keeping your fire going all night (for example, for 8 hours or more) is to place the logs in the burning fire standing up in a "V" with the bottom of each log just below the main door. Pour a large amount of coal onto the fire up to the door at the base of the logs. As the logs slowing burn down, so will the coal but the overall fire will be maintained and in the morning you will find that a chunk of coal still remains. Simply break that chunk up, add some logs and you'll have your warm fire back in no time!
• Have proper venting of your room. You may want to crack open a window to allow some of the smoke to exit from when you start the flame.
• Wearing gloves is always recommended to protect you hands from splinters and burns.
• Use extreme caution when working with open flame making sure no flammables are within the area.
• This process is best performed by an adult.