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Humans have been using fire for thousands upon thousands of years, so how hard could it be to light a fire? Thanks to the little miracles known as matches and lighters, actually starting a fire is easy, but building a fire that’s going to last for hours is another skill entirely. If you’re new to wood stoves and wood burning fireplaces, it can be a little intimidating to build and light your first few fires. Here are a few tips to get yourself started.

Getting Started

To build a fire, you need to collect several larger pieces of wood, smaller pieces for kindling, newspaper, and matches.

Set Your Base

The first thing you want to do is set what will be the base of the fire. That means taking a few pieces of newspaper and crumpling them up. Set the crumpled newspaper on top of the grate in the fireplace or stove. Don’t use too much newspaper, as this will cause an unnecessary amount of smoke and soot.

Hard wood logs

Add Kindling

New, you’ll want to add kindling to the newspaper. Air is fire’s best friend so you want to make sure there is plenty of air flowing between the layers of your fire. Stack your kindling on top of the newspaper. The best way to do this is by stacking kindling in a grid-like pattern. That will leave enough room for air to flow freely.

The Final Step

Add a log or two to the top of your stack, then you can light the newspaper. The fire will work its way from the bottom up and will eventually catch the larger piece.

Contact Hi-Tech Appliance if you’re in the Louisville, Colorado area and you’re interested in speaking to a wood stove or wood fireplace sales expert. Our experts can help you find the perfect way to heat your house, and off season is the best time of year to invest in a wood stove or fireplace.

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