How To Make A Fire
We are often asked “How To Make A Fire?”
Weather it is a fire for your fireplace or on how to pack your wood for your outdoor fire, here is a step - by step guide on "how to make a fire".
What You Will Need To Start
Firelighters
If used correctly, with Firelogs Kindeling, 1 packet of firelighters should be enough for about 8 fires.
Kindeling
Kindeling is the small peaces of wood used to start the fire with the help firelighters. One bag of kindeling should be enough for 6 - 8 fire starts.
Dry Firewood
Dry firewood is very important to ensure effective burning in your fireplace.
Lets Start!
Open all the vents (closed combustion stoves) or the chimney vent (open fireplaces)
usually located on the side or at the back of the chimney
01
Clean Fireplace
Always ensure that the fireplace is clean.
02
Firelighters
Break off ½ a block of individually wrapped firelogs firelighters and place the block in the middle of the fireplace.
03
Kindeling
Take out a “hand full” of kindeling.
04
Tee Pee
Using the kindeling, build a “Tee Pee”or pyramid above the firelighter.
05
Smaller Pieces
Always open the bag of wood and select the smaller pieces to be used first.
06
Light Firelighter
Light the firelighter in the middle of the fireplace.
07
Bigger Pieces
Once you have lit the fire, start placing the smaller pieces of wood onto the fire, gradually building up to the bigger pieces of wood.
Tips
Use Your Previous Days Ash
Do Not clean glass doors of closed stoves with Window lean or other household cleaning agents as well as pot or steel wool or scotch guards as this will scratch the glass, rather use a damp cloth, dab the cloth with the previous day ash and wipe the inside glass, by doing this before every use, will maintain your fireplace.
Burning in a new fireplace? ... NO PROBLEM!
Closed Combustion Stoves Only - 1st Burning “The Burning In Phase”
Step 1: Start the fire as per above instructions, leaving all the vents and door/s open on the fireplace.
Step 2: Once the smaller pieces of wood have started to burn and the fire has become a “stand alone” fire, in other words, the fire is fueling itself and the firelighter has burned out +-
Step 3:: Allow the fire to become stronger by placing small pieces of wood onto the fire, you will notice that the flames are high and moving rapidly +-
Step 4: Close the door/s BUT NOT COMPLETELY , leave the door/s slightly open as this is the “ the burning in phase” the reason for this, is to allow the ropes on the inside of the door/s to settle.
Step 5: Place some more wood onto the fire and allow to burn, once your smell a faint” paint smell” the fireplace is ready about 4 hours.
Step 6: Allow the fire to burn out and cool down naturally, with the door open.
Closed Combustion Stoves - Normal Burning
Step 1: Start the fire as per above instructions, leaving all the vents and door/s open on the fireplace.
Step 2: Once the smaller pieces of wood have started to burn and the fire has become a “stand alone” fire, in other words, the fire is fueling itself and the firelighter has burned out +-
Step 3:: Allow the fire to become stronger by placing small pieces of wood onto the fire, you will notice that the flames are high and moving rapidly +-
Step 4: Close the door/s, immediately you will notice that the flame has dramatically dropped and should be burring about 1 cm above the wood and moving slowly, this is normal, at this stage, keep the vents open.
Allow the fire to “settle” and start closing the vents or dials in small increments, the more you close the vents/ dials, the slower the flame will be moving, Do NOT close all the vents as this will cut of the oxygen supply to the fire and the fire will go out!
Every time, you open the door/s to place more wood in, work back the vents / dials to their previous settings.
