How to Build a Fire in a Wood Burner
Wood burners, or wood-burning stoves, are used to provide heat. Building a fire in one can be done by using kindling or a starter log. Keep in mind that building a fire requires allowing air to vent so the fire will continue to burn. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Bucket
- Ash scraper
- Kindling
- Newspaper
- Matches or lighter
- Ax or hatchet
- Small logs
Instructions
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Use an ash scraper to remove ash and other debris from the firebox of the wood burner.
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2
Roll up individual sheets of newspaper and twist them so they do not come apart. You can also scrunch the newspapers into balls.
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3
Place the newspaper in a small pile at the bottom of the fire box.
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Set pieces of kindling on top of the newspaper in opposite directions. Separate the pieces so that they do not sit too closely together.
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Light the newspaper in multiple spots.
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Let the fire burn for a few minutes to let the kindling get hot.
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Add one or two pieces of wood on top of the kindling. Cross the pieces so that air can circulate for optimal burning. Add more wood as the pieces burn down. You should only have three or four medium-sized pieces of wood burning at once.
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Adjust the draft control to let more air in or restrict the airflow to the firebox. The draft control is typically a device that rotates and is located in the door used to clean out ash. You can use the draft control to adjust how much or how little you want the fire to burn--more air will make the fire burn faster.
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Tips & Warnings
Kindling can be chopped from cut logs using a hatchet or small ax.
Too much air or wind can prevent the kindling from catching fire.
Keeping the air vents closed can prevent the fire from burning and can force smoke into the living area.
