How to Build a Clean Burning Fire With Little Smoke

A warm, cozy fire is the perfect antidote to a drizzly winter night.

On a chilly winter night, nothing warms a home more quickly than a crackling wood fire. Building a brightly burning fire takes a little practice, but once you've mastered the technique you'll start efficient fires in only a few minutes.

Things You'll Need

• Newspaper or paraffin wax fire starters
• Kindling (dry, finely split sticks in a variety of sizes)
• Seasoned firewood
• Match

Instructions

1. Place two split logs in your fireplace with 4 to 6 inches between them. Choose logs that are about 3 to 4 inches thick.

2. Twist a length of black and white newspaper and place it between the two logs.

3. Place 1 inch of kindling on top of the newspaper and logs. Light the newspaper with a match and allow it to burn for several minutes.

4. Lay 3 or 4 small logs (3 to 4 inches thick) perpendicularly on top of the two logs in the fireplace once the kindling has almost burned out.

5. Add larger logs once the fire is burning brightly. Always add 2 or more logs at a time for most efficient burning.

Tips & Warnings

• Stack freshly cut wood in a dry, protected area and allow it to sit, unused, for 12 months. Seasoning the wood removes moisture so the fire burns more efficiently and with less smoke.

• Choose hardwood varieties like hickory, maple, and oak. Pine is less expensive (and more available in the west), but it burns more quickly and tends to smoke.

• Make sure the flue is open before starting your fire. If the fireplace feels cold and breezy when you initially open the door, you have a cold backdraft, which is the result of a design flaw. Open the nearest door or window to eliminate the backdraft.

• Hire a chimney sweep to clean your fireplace and chimney annually.

• Install a new energy efficient insert in your old fireplace for better burning.

References

• Wood Heat: How to Build and Maintain a Wood Fire
• Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association: Burning Wood Responsibily

Resources

• California Air Resources Board: Wood Burning Handbook