How to Light a Fire Pit
What is the Best Way to Light Firewood in a Fire Pit?
Ways to start a wood fire pit and the tools you need
Is starting a fire pit difficult?
There are different ways to light firewood in a fire pit and you can use various fire starters to light a fire pit. Generally, starting a wood fire pit is easy if you know some basics and have a couple of necessary things at hand. Well, you certainly don’t need survival skills to get a fire pit going! Here is a simple guide on lighting a fire pit prepared by Flames and Fires.
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What do you need to light a fire pit?
Things you need to start a wood fire pit
Before starting a fire, make sure that the area around your fire pit is safe and you follow the local fire regulations. Also, have something to extinguish the fire in case you have to.
The essential things for lighting up the firepit the traditional way
Matches
Matches are the best traditional thing you can use to start the fire, but you can also use a lighter or torch.
Tinder
You can use anything that catches fire easily, like paper, small dry twigs or sticks, dry leaves or pine needles.
Kindling
Dry wooden sticks, splinters or dry pine cones are excellent materials for starting a fire. If you don’t have any at hand, you can chop off some splinters from the larger wood logs.
Firewood
And finally, the main fuel for your wood fire pit – dried wood logs, which will build your fire and keep it going.
How to light a firepit
Ways to start a firepit
There are different ways you can start a fire with wood, depending on your personal preferences and what you have at hand. Here are some suggestions, but the list of fire starting methods is longer.
Traditional Method
Make sure that everything you need to ignite the fire is dry. Prepare your matches, tinder, kindling, and your firewood.
Then pile some kindling and place a few wood logs on top.
Remember to leave enough space for tinder underneath as well as free space in between the wood, so the air can access them easily even inside the pile as they need oxygen for combustion.
Strike a match to the tinder and let the fire enter the pile. You may want to light the tinder in a couple of places, but if the pile is built well, you don’t need that.
Starting a metal bowl fire pit
This video shows how to light a firepit with matches:
Using Different Fire Starters
An alternative to the traditional fire starting method is using ready made fire starters. There are various products which you can buy and use as alternatives for tinder and kindling to make it easier and here are some examples:
Natural Fire Starters
Premium Fire Starters
Natural Waterproof Fire Starters
Electric and gas fire starters
If you value convenience, you may prefer to use electric fire starters or gas torches instead of matches. They are especially useful and easier to use than matches in a windy weather. You can buy them online here:
Electric Charcoal Fire Starter
Butane Torch Lighter
How to start a fire pit without kindling?
Can you start a fire without kindling?
Absolutely! There are many things you can use to start fire instead of kindling. Most of them are more economical and help you to reduce your waste as well.
What can I use instead of kindling?
Here is a list of things you can use instead of kindling:
- newspaper
- toilet roll tubes
- cardboard, e.g. Amazon boxes
- shredded paper
- dry grass
- dry leaves
- other garden waste, e.g. twigs
- tree bark
- wood shavings
- cotton
- waste textiles
- coffee filters
Remember, all those things need to be very dry to serve as a good fire starter. To start fire more easily, you can dip an end of your home made fire starter (e.g. newspaper) in vegetable oil.
Safety tips for lighting a fire pit
Before you start, check the direction of the wind before starting a fire and stand with your back to the wind to avoid the wind blowing the fire onto you. However, if the wind is very strong, consider giving up lighting the fire to avoid it spreading onto buildings, trees or other things.
We don’t recommend using any flammable fluids for igniting a fire in your fire pit, as it may produce a flame larger than your fire pit is intended for, or a spillage or the fluid can be dangerous.
Final Thoughts
What is the best way to start a fire pit?
There is no one right way of starting a fire. The method you choose to light a firepit will depend on your personal experience, preferences and the tools and materials which you have available.
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