How to Build a Fire

Introduction

• Since the dawn of mankind, humans have relied on the power of fire to heat and illuminate their lives. From the first flickering flames that brought warmth and protection to Cro-Magnon man to the coal burning fires that helped fuel the industrial revolution, no other discovery has had as much of an impact on shaping the course of humanity than fire. Unsurprisingly, due to the abundance of easy-to-use fire sources that can be found throughout our lives, most people take it for granted and don't understand how fire works - or even how to build one for themselves. Whether you're an outdoor enthusiast with an interest in survival skills or just a practical person who wants to be prepared in case of an emergency, being able to build a fire is a skill that everyone should know. Here's how.

• 

  Creative Commons photo by Melody Carter

How Fire Works

• In order to successfully build a fire, it helps to know a little bit about what fire is and how it works.

1. As opposed to other elements such as earth, water and air (which are forms of matter), fire is merely the byproduct of a chemical reaction between oxygen in the atmosphere and any type of combustible fuel^[1]. This means that fire is not matter at all - only the result of matter changing form (in this case from fuel into fire, smoke and ash).
2. Besides fuel and oxygen, fire also needs some sort of heat source in order to raise the fuel to its necessary ignition temperature. The ignition temperature of wood is about 300 °C (150 °C) - at which temperature the process of combustion begins.^[2]
3. Smoke is one of the byproducts of fire and is comprised of mostly hydrogen, carbon and oxygen atoms. Ash, on the other hand, is all of the material that cannot be burned.^[3]

Gather Your Supplies

• In order to build a fire, there are four things that you will need: Tinder, Kindling, Fuel, and some sort of Ignition Source. In this section we will briefly describe the first three of these things and tell you how to gather them together in order to start your fire.

Tinder

• Tinder is basically any dry, brittle or fibrous material that will burn easily and help to ignite the kindling. Tinder is one of the most important parts of starting a fire and should be the first
  

  Tinder (Creative Commons photo by Fred)
  thing you look for as you are preparing your materials. Make sure that any tinder you find is completely dry and free of moisture. If not, it won't burn.

• Some common types of Tinder:
  • Dry Leaves
  • Wood Shavings
  • Dead Grass
  • Shredded Bark
  • Dry Pine Needles
  • Paper or Cotton (if you have them).

Kindling

• Kindling is the next step up in the fire food chain and is responsible for perpetuating the small fire that was started by the tinder and then allowing that fire to transfer to the larger pieces of wood that are used for fuel. You can usually find kindling by breaking off smaller branches from larger pieces of wood or from small,
  

  Kindling (Creative Commons photo by Dean Leu)
  low hanging trees. As with tinder, kindling must be completely dry in order to catch fire. If the branches don't break immediately when you snap them, they are probably still alive and not dry enough to burn.

• Some common types of Kindling:
  • Dry Twigs
  • Small Sticks
  • Thin Tree Branches
  • Strips of Wood
  • Cardboard (if necessary)

Fuel

• The final ingredient in your fire is the fuel that is needed to build your fire up to a respectable size and keep it burning for as long as needed. This usually comes in the form of large pieces of firewood. While firewood can be purchased in bundles and used in your home furnace or when car camping, backpackers and campers will need to find their own firewood from whatever is available where they camp. Here are a few things to keep in mind when gathering firewood in a wilderness area:

1. Most campgrounds and wilderness areas will have specific rules regarding the collection and use of firewood. Make sure you know them so you don't end up in trouble.
2. Never cut down live trees for use as firewood. Besides the fact that they probably won't burn well, they are also a valuable resource and should be protected. Only use trees that are already dead.
3. Make sure to gather as much firewood as you will need for the night before you start your fire. Gathering firewood in the dark after your supplies have run out is never fun.

Ignition Sources

• Now that we have all of our raw materials gathered and ready for use, we now need some sort of ignition source in order to start the flames and bring our fire to life. There are many different ways to start a fire (some much easier than others) and it helps to know more than one or two. In this section we will discuss some of the most common ignition sources that are often used to start a fire.

Matches

• Matches are one of easiest and most reliable ignition sources for starting a fire and are one of the most important supplies in any camper's pack.
  

  Creative Commons photo by Kamil Porembiński
  When purchasing matches for a camping trip or for your emergency supplies, try to find waterproof, strike-anywhere matches. These will work well even in soggy conditions.
  1. Regular matches can be waterproofed by dipping them in nail polish.^[4]
  2. Strike-anywhere matches are important in case the matchbox gets wet.
  3. In windy weather, cup your hand around the match flame in order to keep it lit.
  4. If you're still having trouble keeping your match lit, try lighting two at a time.

Lighter

• While using a lighter is probably the quickest and easiest way to get your fire started, there are some drawbacks.
  

  CC photo by Hamid Najafi
  If your lighter gets wet, damp or runs out of fuel, you're out of luck. Here are some things to think about if you're going to use a lighter as your ignition source.

• 1. Electronic and waterproof lighters are easier to keep dry than regular lighters and are quicker to dry off if they do get wet.
  2. Even if your lighter runs out of fuel, you can still use the sparks it produces to help light your fire.^[5]
  3. Store your lighter in a sealed plastic bag in order to prevent moisture from getting inside.

Flint & Steel

• One of the oldest and most widely used methods of starting a fire is the flint and steel method. In this method, a solid piece of flint (or other sharp-edged rock) is struck by carbon steel (usually in the form of a knife or blade). The sparks that are produced by the chipped flint are then used to help ignite the tinder and start your fire. While this method is reliable, it often takes a good deal of practice to learn how to do it. Before you go camping, buy some flint and practice with a small amount of tinder.
  1. Make a small pile of tinder and bring your flint as close to the pile as possible.
  2. Try to aim your wrist so that the sparks go directly onto the tinder.
  3. When you see a spark that catches the tinder, blow on it gently in order to help stoke the flames.
  4. When the flame catches, place some kindling on the tinder and watch it burn.
  5. Char Cloth is often used to help facilitate the ignition of the tinder.

• 
  
  
• YouTube: How to Strike Flint and Steel

6-Volt & Steel Wool

• One of the coolest ways of starting your fire is by touching a 9-Volt battery to a piece of steel wool. While the chances are small that you'll have a 9-Volt battery and some steel wool with you in an emergency situation, it always helps to know about alternative methods. Here's how:
  1. Rub the battery on the steel wool so both of the battery terminals touch the steel. The current that passes through the steel wires will heat the filament of the steel wool and cause it to glow.
  2. Blow on the glowing wool to fuel the spark.
  3. Put the glowing wool near your tinder and blow on it gently to transfer the spark.
  4. The battery will usually short out after a few uses, so make sure you get your fire started the first time.

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• YouTube: How to Make Fire Without Matches or a Lighter

Magnifying Glass

• While you may know this method best from childhood science experiments, the use of a magnifying glass can be a great way to help ignite the tinder for your fire. While this is not the only method you want to rely on (due to the fact that you need a clear, sunny day to make it work), it can be useful in certain situations.
  1. Find yourself a magnifying glass - or any other type of glass that has some sort of magnification properties to it (i.e. Eyeglasses, Binoculars, Glass Bottle).
  2. Hold the glass at an angle where the sun's light is focused on a small point on your pile of tinder.
  3. Adjust the angle so that the circle of light is as small as possible. The smaller the circle, the more light that is concentrated on one area.
  4. Hold the magnifying glass in place until the tinder starts to smoke and a flame develops. This may take up to 10 minutes, so be patient.

• 
  
  
• YouTube: Fire from the Sun!

Building Your Fire

• At this point, you should have all of your materials gathered and have decided on which of the ignition sources that you are going to use. Now you are ready to build your fire. Here's how:

Build a Fire Pit

• The first thing that you're going to need to do is to build a firepit for your fire. Firepits are necessary because they help keep your fire in a strictly designated area and prevent it from burning out of control.
  1. Start by choosing a spot for your fire that is far away from low hanging trees, dry brush, or anything else that could catch on fire from the sparks.
  2. Dig a circular hole (about 3 inches deep) in the ground where you want your fire to go.
  3. Find a bunch of medium-sized rocks and make a wall around the circumferences of the hole. Make sure there are no gaps in between the rocks where fire can escape.

Start Your Fire

• Now is the moment of truth. Time to start your fire.
  1. Take your pile of tinder and place it in the bottom of the fire pit.
  2. Use your preferred ignition source to get a small flame burning in your tinder.
  3. Spread a small amount of kindling loosely over the flaming tinder. Make sure that you don't smother the tinder by putting too much kindling on at first.
  4. Wait until the first bits of kindling have caught fire and add the rest of the kindling to the pile.
  5. Once the kindling has sufficiently ignited, start by arranging your firewood in one of the many possible fire wood configurations.
  6. Make sure to leave enough space in between your pieces of wood so that oxygen can get inside and fuel the fire.
  7. If your burning tinder or kindling starts to die out, bend down and blow air slowly into the center of the fire. The extra oxygen will help to re-ignite the fire.
  8. As your fire begins to grow, make sure that no pieces of wood or branches are obstructing the flow of oxygen into and around your fire.
  9. Add more firewood as necessary as the first logs start to burn out. Don't wait for the fire to go out completely before adding fuel.
  10. Sit back, relax and enjoy primordial warmth of your very own fire!

• 

  Creative Commons photo by Ville Miettinen

Tips & Warnings

•   It is extremely important for you to know the rules and regulations regarding fires in the specific area you are camping in. While some campsites and wilderness areas may allow campfires at all times, others may restrict the making of campfires to certain designated areas, times of year, or in certain weather conditions. Other may restrict the making of fires altogether. Make sure you know the rules!

•   It is always a good idea to plan on having more than one ignition source available to you - just in case one of them doesn't work. For serious campers, it is usually a good idea to put together a "Fire-Kit", complete with matches, a lighter, steel wool, flint, a 9-V battery, etc. Being able to make a fire is important - and it helps to be prepared.

•   Always be sure to put out your fire completely after you are done. This is extremely important. An out of control campfire can lead to the destruction of acres of forest. Make sure to douse your fire thoroughly with water (or sand and dirt if water is not available). Poke through the ashes with a stick to make sure that there are no embers still burning.

•   Never sleep too close to a burning fire. Besides the sparks that can fly off and catch your sleeping bag on fire, smoke from the fire can also be a health hazard.

Conclusion

• While knowing how to build a fire is not a necessity in today's modern world, it is still an important skill to have. Even if you don't go camping or backpacking on a regular basis, you never know when you might be in an emergency situation in which the ability to start a fire can mean the difference between freezing and staying warm. If you are someone who enjoys the outdoors and spends a lot of time camping, then being able to build a fire quickly and well is one of the most important things you will need to know. So make sure to be prepared, be safe and stay warm!

Resources

• WikiHow: How to Build a Fire
• HowStuffWorks: How Fire Works
• eHow: How to Start a Fire Without Matches
• BC Adventure: Basic Wilderness Survival Skills
• Lifehacker: Build a Fire Without Matches or a Lighter
• WikiHow: How to Create Fire with a Magnifying Glass
• Wilderness Survival Skills: How to Make a Fire in the Wilderness
• YouTube: How to Strike a Flint and Steel
• YouTube: Fire From the Sun!

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