How to Easily Start a Wood Fire

Wood fires add ambiance and a distinct smell to the air.

Being able to start a wood fire is a valuable skill. Wood fires provide heat for cooking and warmth in fireplaces, wood stoves and at camping sites. You can start a fire using various sizes of wood without purchasing fire starting logs. Learning how to start a wood fire efficiently ensures quality fires with minimal smoke.

Things You'll Need

• Matches or lighter
• Tinder
• Kindling
• 2-inch diameter dry wood
• Fuel wood

Instructions

1. Build a four-sided frame for the fire with fuel wood, which are pieces of dry wood larger than 2 inches in diameter. Start with two pieces placed parallel at a distance of approximately 12 inches apart. Stack two more pieces perpendicular, so that they cross over the bottom pieces. This forms a bed to protect the tinder and kindling from wind as the fire ignites. The wood becomes part of the fire as the flames grow.

2. Gather tinder in a pile and place it on top of the fuel wood in the shape of a nest. Create a tightly bound pile, so that it burns slowly when lit. Place the bundle of tinder in the center of the wood frame. Tinder includes shredded newspaper, dry leaves and wood shavings.

3. Add kindling to the bundle. Kindling are pieces of dry wood equal to less than 1 inch in diameter. Mound the kindling vertically around and on top of the tinder. Place the kindling with no more than 1 inch between each piece. The structure resembles a small hill.

4. Light a fire using matches or a lighter and place the flame under the tinder. Light the tinder from more than one side at the same time to ensure an even burn. Protect the flame from excess wind.

5. As the tinder burns, the kindling ignites. Once this happens, add larger pieces of dry wood that are less than 2 inches in diameter across the burning kindling. Place the wood one piece at a time in a teepee shape around the fire, so as not to overcrowd the flame. Continue adding larger pieces of wood to the fire as the embers on the bottom begin to glow red with heat.

Tips & Warnings

• Thorn, yew and ash wood burn slowly and provide the greatest amount of heat, with the least amount of smoke.

• Sycamore, walnut, pine, pear, plum and maple woods release pleasant-smelling smoke and provide adequate heat when burned.

• Dry wood catches fire more quickly and burn through than wet wood.

• Split logs catch fire more quickly and burn faster than solid logs.

• Never use flammable liquids to ignite a wood fire.

• Laburnum wood is poisonous and should not be burned in a wood fire.

References

• Woodall's: Campfire Safety Bloomington, IN
• Boy Scout Troop 780: Fire Skills

Resources

• Wood Heat Organization, Inc.