How to Build a Fire - 6 Easy Steps
![Cassie](https://cdn-fastly.hometalk.com/media/profile/2015/03/19/2679060.jpg?size=91x91)
by
Cassie
(IC: blogger)
When my husband and I moved from southern Arizona (very AZ-like desert) to northern Arizona (very non-AZ-like mountains), I had a little bit of culture shock. One of the many things I needed to learn was how to build a fire!
After a lot of trial and error (and four winters of practice), I've got my process down pretty well! I'll post all of my "ingredients" here, but ask that you visit my blog, Lovely Weeds (link below), for the full tutorial. I wanted to be as detailed as possible, so there's a lot of great information over there!
Probably the most important part of a building a fire is getting your kindling right! This is the olive oil in the pan, the perfectly seasoned cast iron skillet, the great wine base for your sauce. Ok, so I'm not a chef. But I do know that the type of wood you use for starting a fire is extremely important. You want something that will burn quickly and very hot. In the AZ mountains, that's juniper.
Once your fire is established, you'll want a dense hardwood for keeping it going. We use oak, it burns beautifully and lasts a good, warm, long time.
To get the fire rolling, I use my home made fire starters (the tutorial for those is also on my blog!). They burn for 10-15 minutes, giving you plenty of time to get a great base fire going, without the chimney-clogging yuckiness of newspaper.
This is a preview of how I set up my kindling. I go with a lean-to structure, patent pending (just kidding). I go into more detail in by blog post, along with how to get yourself set up for a cozy day with minimal fire up-keep!
When you visit, please remember to leave me a comment! I'd love to hear what you think about my method of building a fire, or hear any tips!
Enjoyed the project?
![Cassie](https://cdn-fastly.hometalk.com/media/profile/2015/03/19/2679060.jpg?size=91x91)
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Published November 21st, 2014 12:38 PM
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Rita H on Nov 24, 2014
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Judy on Nov 24, 2014
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