The important steps when building a fire:
- Crumple a layer of newspaper at the bottom of the fireplace
- Build a pyramid of logs to allow air to flow on all sides
- Light the edges of the newspaper with a match in several places
Oh… and one other tiny little thing: open the flu.
With temperatures dipping to record lows over the past few days, I eagerly started a fire to warm our living room for the evening. It only took a few seconds for the room to fill with smoke thick enough to see. (Thankfully not thick enough to set off any smoke detectors which, perhaps by design, aren’t located near our fireplace.)
Fun trick: Roll up some paper and light one end. Use it to light some tinder under the wood then hold it at the top of the fireplace to help get a good draft going. After 20-30 seconds, shove it in with the rest of the tinder and go make cocoa.
Also interesting:
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2009/02/02/how-to-build-an-upside-down-fire/