How to light a real fire with wood

getitright

The most important thing is to have dryeverything.
You will need: Logs (to fit your fireplace) Ash is the best, beech is good - any hardwood. Steer clear of sycamore. It burns brightly but has no heat.
Kindling - from garages, pine off cuts - any softwood
Newspaper - its made from softwood pulp and the print is petrol based.
Here is what you do.
Scrunch up 6-8 full pages of paper.
Lay the kindling loosely on top - in a pyramid if it is a big fire place or at an angle over the paper if not.
Then a couple of smaller (thinner) logs next.
And then maybe a big(fat) one or two.
It should all support itself.
Make sure the flue is open (sometimes there is a flange to shut off the chimney)
and the front grate is open.
Light paper with match in several places.
Put up the fire guard. Very important. It will spit.

I never use firelighters. They are very polluting. One of the wonderful by-products of a pure fire is the ash. It makes a superb cleaner for almost anything. I keep a small bowlful of it by the sink for cleaning out tea-stains on china, stainless steel pans, even non-stick surfaces respond to ash.

If you feel like going on to advanced fire keeping then an axe and a chopping block are essential fire-side additions. You can then be creative with the kindling and the splitting of logs!

If, in the morning you come down to unburnt logs - save them. The charcoal is the best addition to firelighting. It creates an instant 'heart'.
Warning! Make sure the ashes are cold before you remove them. Keep any decent sized peices of charcoal from amongst it if you haven't been left an unburnt log.

I learnt my firekeeping art in a tipi and have never looked back.
Everyone should know how to conjure up the spirit of fire. It must be man's oldest companion and contemplation.
Enjoy.

Mark_Jay

Here's my advice based on a few years of using woodburners:
1 Get your chimney swept - as everyone else advises! We just paid £30 for two chimneys
2 Get your chimney lined - its likely you're uninsured for chimney fires if you don't do this
3 (the good bit) - lighting a fire. My best method is:
a) a good few crumpled sheets of newspapeer
b) tie about 8 broadsheet sized newspaper sheets into a knot after roughly rolling them up diagonally
c) Now put your dry kindling on, with a couple of your lightest dryest bits of firewood

dc

Have to agree with allycat999 and bargain addict. When we had a coal fire, we never bought wood for kindling, but just used the rolled newspaper. As the broadsheets are a dying breed , might be more difficult with the Mirror etc.

The idea is that you roll the paper into a tube about one inch in diameter, diagonally to make the tube longer. i.e. starting in a corner. Then fold it into a bow or pretzel shape, dont flatten it as the air trapped inside tends to act as a blowtorch when it is burning. Place 5 or 6 of these in the empty grate and then put some coal on top, not too much, light and enjoy. Practice makes perfect, dont be put off by failure. Works for me every time.

Also a good way to have a hot and efficient fire, is to put some logs on later, with the coal, when there is some ash from the coal. The logs cause a draught which then makes the ash hotter eventually glowing white hot. It is around this time you can move outside and still feel the heat. Seriously this seems to reduce the amount of ash left than if coal only was burnt. A word of caution pine loge will spark a lot in an explosive way, fun can be had extinguishing smouldering fireside rugs.

Good Luck and :xmassign: Enjoy
HTHs dc

Dora_the_Explorer_5

Practised in my family for generations:
Forget to get chimney swept
Force kids to make loads of rolled up newspaper tubes
Rake out grate from yesterday causing cascades of cinder dust all over furniture
Place paper tubes in grate
Go outside and chop kindling because some lazy b....r used the last of it yesterday
Put kindling on top of paper and hope you've chopped enough
Place wood/coal/modern cinder stuff which'll never catch properly on top
Light paper and curse
Watch paper burn away and 3 pieces of kindling catch and nothing else
Watch fire producing enough smoke to satisfy a tribe of indians and 2 flames
Prop coal shovel up against grate
Spread double sheet of newspaper over coal shovel
Watch kindling start to catch and wood/coal/useless cinder stuff start to catch
Watch double sheet of newspaper start to catch
Watch above burst into flames
Burst into tears / curse according to gender
Start again

Hope this helps!

MasterMiser

They are available but they are expensive.

http://www.c20fires.co.uk/fireplace_accessories/gas_poker.htm

punamulta

I have a wood burning sauna stove, different woods have their own characteristics , for lighting i recommend softwood, old pallets are great, spruce and pine light easily, and cardboard is easier than newspaper as it burns longer to bring the wood up to its flash point.