How to Light a Fire

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This article was co-written by Josh Gpdbach. Josh Gpdbach is an outdoor education expert and CEO of Bpd Earth Adventures. Bpd Earth organizes adventure camping trips for teenagers around the world. With over 15 years of experience, Josh specializes in organizing adventure trips for teenagers in the United States and other countries. Josh holds a BA in Psychology from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. He has completed training for first responders in nature, the Leave No Trace teaching team leader and Swiftwater Level 5 lifeguard.

There are 10 references cited in this article that you can view at the bottom of the page.

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You can light a bonfire fairly easily with the right materials and tools. Look for tinder, firewood, and firewood to light a fire and maintain a warm fire. To stay safe, remember to always light fires at least 2 meters away from tents, huts or trees. Don’t forget to carefully put out the fire after enjoying.

Table of Contents

Prepare necessary supplies

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Buy pre-chopped firewood for safety, if possible. Chopped firewood is the ideal choice for building a fire at home and is also a wise decision to start an outdoor fire. If firewood is available, you will save time and effort looking for firewood in the forest without knowing if it is available. Chopped firewood is available at hardware stores or dealers near the camping area. ^{[1] X Research Source}

If you are going to a national park or campsite, find out in advance whether the use of firewood from outside is prohibited and whether they sell firewood on site, or prohibit collecting firewood on their property . .

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Use specialized industrial firewood for decorative fire. Industrial firewood contains sawdust and paraffin wax to easily ignite and create a clean flame. This type of firewood has the advantage that it does not require firewood and is less messy, but it does not give off as much heat as regular firewood. ^{[2] X Research Source}

To easily light a fire without heating, you should buy industrial firewood at the hardware store.

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Find small, dry materials for an outdoor fire. Dough is a combustible material used to start a fire. Dry materials such as hay, leaves, shredded bark or newspaper are ideal options. When needed, corn chips can also make a great filling if you’re willing to cut down on a snack. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Tip: Some stores sell pre-made tinder. You can also make your own tincture first.

Find medium-sized dry materials for flaming. Sparks are flammable materials when in contact with burning tinder, but they are unlikely to ignite on their own. Look for twigs, small sticks, or large pieces of bark. Remember that the materials must be very dry. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Use an ax or knife to chop large logs into firewood.

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Collect firewood. Firewood consists of logs that can burn for a long time and sustain a flame. You should look for dry, brittle wood that comes in a variety of sizes to throw on the fire when needed. Different types of wood will burn differently, so you need to be aware of: ^{[5] X Research Source}

Hard woods, such as oak and maple, are harder to ignite but last longer.
Soft woods like pine and cedar will burn quickly and crackle when burned because of the sap.

Build the bonfire structure

Clean a dry and clear surface. Choose a location that is at least 2 meters away from trees, bushes and low canopy trees. Remove dead leaves, dead branches and other objects that can catch fire and spread fire. Make sure the fire site is on dry ground, or use rocks to build a foundation for the fire. ^{[6] X Research Source}

Arrange the stones in a wide circle with a diameter of about 1m – 1.2m to mark the location of the fire.
Remember never to light a fire within 2 meters of a tent or shack if you plan to sleep outside.

Build a criss-cross fire structure for simplicity. Spread tinder in the center of the floor, then place firewood on top in a criss-cross pattern. Continue to pile firewood on the firewood sticks in the same way. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Tip: When loading fire materials, remember to leave space in the middle for air to circulate to provide oxygen to sustain the fire.

Create a structure like a conical tent to make it easy to start a fire. Roll the dough into a ball about 10 cm in diameter. Pile the firesticks into a cone around the tinder, leaving one side open. Build the sticks together into a frame around the fire and tinder, making sure to leave an opening to coincide with the gap when building the fireflies. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Note: This structure replaces the criss-cross structure. Don’t build both styles!

Create a bonfire structure like a “wooden house” for ease. Scatter tinder in the center of the fire, then set up the firewood in a tent shape around the tinder pile. Place 2 burning logs on either side of the “tent”, then add 2 more logs perpendicular to them. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Add 2-3 more layers in a similar fashion to build a “wooden house.”
This is also an alternative to criss-cross or conical tent construction.

Make a fire

Use matches or lighters if available. The easiest way to start a fire is to use igniters like matches or lighters. Carefully light a match or lighter and light it until it catches on fire. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Blow lightly on the burning tinder to start the fire.
For best results, you should light the tinder from multiple sides for a good fire.

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Ignition with flint and steel rod, a fire-making tool that defies the weather. The flint and steel rod igniter is a great tool, durable and weatherproof to replace matches and lighters. Place the igniter close to the tinder in the center of the ignited platform, then hit the steel rod against the flint several times so that sparks hit the tinder until it ignites. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Flint and steel bar sets are available at hardware stores, sporting or outdoor supply stores, or online.

Create a “fire plow” for field fire. Use a tweezers or a sharp tool to make a groove in a soft log. Use a stick or small twig to rub vigorously back and forth along the groove to create friction and heat. After a few minutes, the heat will increase and burn the wooden materials. ^{[12] X Research Source}

If you don’t have a tweezers, you can use a sharp object, such as a pen, nail, or metal skewer to cut wood.

Safe extinguishing of fire

Start putting out the fire 20 minutes in advance. It will take a while for the fire to go out completely, and if you leave before the fire is completely out, it will be very dangerous. You should calculate in advance when to put out the fire so that there is enough time for this. ^{[13] X Research Source}

Tip: If you have to leave the bonfire at some point, set an alarm on your phone 20 minutes before you leave.

Pour water on the fire. Use a ladle to pour water over the fire and sprinkle water over the embers. Be gentle and slow. You can use a watering can, large water bottle, or other container to slowly water the fire. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Avoid pouring too much water to put out the fire, as this will damage the base of the fire and you will have a hard time continuing to use it soon after.

Use a twig or shovel to turn the embers when watering. While watering, turn the pile of embers to make sure all of the embers are wet. Use a twig or metal shovel to stir. Remember to stir well and continue to stir until the fire is completely extinguished. ^{[15] X Research Source}

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Make sure the fire is no longer evaporating, emitting heat, or making noises. Hold your hand near the base of the fire to see if it has cooled down. If you don’t feel the heat rising from the ground, the fire is probably out. Also, check for signs of steam and listen for a hissing sound, a sign of burning embers. ^{[16] X Research Source}

If you do not see the above signs, you can safely leave the place of fire.
If you see any of the above signs, you must repeat the steps above to put out the fire. If you’re not going to make a fire there anymore, pour water over the fire.

Expert advice

Keep the following tips in mind when building a campfire:

Gather enough firewood to keep the fire burning. To maintain the fire for 24 hours, you need a pile of firewood the size of a Vpkswagen Beetle. To be extra sure, double that number.
Use a variety of dry materials if you do not have enough firewood. If you run out of firewood, use other things like dried leaves, pine branches, and dried bark to build a fire until you have enough dry branches.
Calculate how to keep the fire wisely. To keep the fire burning evenly and safely, use small branches when the fire is still small, and add larger branches when the fire is bigger.

Advice

Keep at least a bucket of water or sand nearby to put out the fire.
Never let a fire burn unattended.

Steps