Building the Perfect Fire

Picture candles illuminating a feast at a dining table, laughter filling the room; a family snuggled on the couch in front of the living room fireplace; or faces huddled close to a flickering campfire, the brightest light under a starry sky. Fires draw people together. And if you’re out camping alone, fires provide welcome comfort. Fires also dry clothes wet from rain, warm hands cold from snow, and cook coffee or soup. Through both their utilitarian and more ethereal functions, fires have a unique power to make everything good again.

And fires come with responsibility. We’ll make our way to learning where and how to build an ideal fire, but first, some safety tips.

FIRE SAFETY

Whether building your fire inside or out, safety is absolutely the most important consideration. Outdoors, when it comes to building a campfire, safety considerations mean being strategic about the location (foundation) and materials (fuel) that you use for your fire. When camping, make sure to check the posted rules in your area, as many municipalities prohibit open fires during spells of dry weather or drought in order to prevent forest fires. Inside, good fire safety could mean ensuring you’re using the proper fuel, that you have adequate ventilation, and that you take the correct precautionary measures to keep your chimney clean. In each section of this chapter, we’ll touch on good safety practices. But always remember to use common sense when working with fire.

When building a fire indoors, some important tools to have on hand for starting, maintaining, and extinguishing a fire are a metal poker, a shovel, and some sort of tin for removing ashes. Multiple fire extinguishers are necessary in case a fire gets out of hand. While fire extinguishers generally last between five and fifteen years, it’s a good idea to have yours serviced regularly to ensure it’s ready for you if you need it.

WHERE TO BUILD A FIRE

Much like real estate, building a successful fire is all about location, location, location. The most important factor in choosing the location of your fire—whether inside or out—is safety.

When it comes to building a fire outdoors, you’re likely to rely on a fire ring—something designed to keep fires contained and temper the impact of inclement weather on your flames. Fire rings can take many forms, but they’re always floorless—that is, built directly on the ground. To make the ring, you can use rocks, metal, concrete, or other nonflammable/heat-resistant materials. In established campsites where fires are permitted, you’ll likely find existing fire rings that you can use. Elsewhere, like your backyard or a primitive campground, you’ll need to build your own.

If you’re building a fire in a place without a fire ring, here are a few things to consider.

First: proximity. While the idea of a campfire right outside the flap of your tent may seem romantic, many of the materials used for older tents and sleeping bags are flammable. Many modern materials are fire-resistant but not fireproof and, at a minimum, are easily burned by embers. If possible, place your tent or shelter upwind of the fire and no closer than ten feet from it.

Second: foundation. Don’t build the fire ring on thick duff—that soft, spongy layer on the forest floor made of decomposing leaves, sticks, and other organic materials. The ground should be flat and compact. Prepare the area by clearing a three-foot circle of all leaves, grass, and brush to the bare ground. Then, add a layer of dirt three to four inches thick.

Third: what’s overhead. Look up and around you. Ensure there are no trees or shrubs hanging overhead or within a ten-foot radius.

BUILDING A FIRE INSIDE