How to Start a Good Fire

Having a fireplace or wood stove in your home is a great way to cut down on heating costs while enjoying the roar of a comfortable fire. Learning how to build and start a proper fire is important. The tips below will help you become a master fire-starter in no time.

• Use dry wood. Commercial firewood is dried for nine months before sale. The cut ends of wood can hold a lot of moisture, and if you attempt to start a fire with freshly cut wood the internal water will constantly put out your flames. Not only is this inefficient and annoying- it also produces a great deal of pollutants that can dirty your fireplace as well as the air. Even fully-dried firewood will not light properly if it has been left out in the rain or otherwise gotten wet.
• Use paper to ignite the flames. Start your fire by crumpling a few pieces of paper and putting them inside the stove. Stack small pieces of wood on top of them and then light the paper. Never use paper that has been coated or has adhesives stuck to it; clean, dry newspaper is a good choice.
• Let air circulate. Leave the door to the stove slightly open to let oxygen get to the fire. Make sure it isn't open far enough to let sparks or wood fall out. Once the fire starts to smoke, you can close the door all the way.
• Start with small pieces of wood. For best results, stack small pieces of kindling over your crumpled paper, and add slightly larger pieces as the fire gets going. Throwing a large piece of wood on a fresh fire will only serve to extinguish the flames.

With practice, starting and maintaining a good fire in your home wood stove or fireplace will become easy. Make sure to follow all safety guidelines and watch the fire closely throughout the process.