How to Start a Fire in a Lopi M520 Wood Stove

Dry, seasoned wood is essential for successful fire starting.

Starting a fire in a wood stove is relatively easy to do, provided the right materials are used and arranged properly in the stove's firebox. Well-seasoned wood, sufficient dry kindling and proper air flow are essential to successful fire starting. Once the kindling and first, smaller logs are burning well, larger logs may be added as needed to keep the fire going. Depending on the species of wood burned, there may be sufficient coals to restart the fire without kindling as more wood is added.

Things You'll Need

• 5 or 6 dry, seasoned, split or small-diameter logs (approximately 3 inches thick
• Several handfuls of dry, seasoned kindling (small and medium sticks)
• Newspaper.
• Matches.

Instructions

Building the fire.

1. Place two small-diameter logs in the stove, parallel to each other and perpendicular to the face of the stove.

2. Loosely crumple several sheets of newspaper and place them on the floor of the firebox between the two logs.

3. Add small sticks to the top of the paper, supported on either end by the two logs. Add medium sticks on top of the small ones. You want a fairly thick stack of kindling, but it needs to have airflow space between the sticks.

4. Place a few small logs on top of the kindling. The number and angle of the logs should be such that you don't compact the kindling or newspaper, thus restricting air flow, and also such that air can flow around and among the logs.

Light the fire.

1. Open the stove air inlet completely. Light the newspaper in several places and close the firebox door.

2. Add more wood as necessary until the stove reaches operating temperature. Keep the firebox door closed except when adding wood.

3. Close the stove air inlet. Adjust the air inlet as needed to maintain desired operating temperature.

Tips & Warnings

• The most common cause of difficult fire starting is unseasoned wood. Most wood species must season for at least six months before they will burn properly.

• Do not operate a wood stove beyond normal operating temperatures. If any part of the stove glows red, you are overfiring. Close the air inlet until the stove cools to normal temperature.

References

• Wood Heat.: How to Start and Maintain a Wood Fire
• University of Missouri Extension: Starting a Fire in a Wood Stove