How To Start A Fire In A Fire Pit? 3 Steps To Get Your Job Done

 

Having your friends and family around the fire in your backyard must be one of the best experiences ever. Here comes a question: How to start a fire in a fire pit? 

This task doesn't take much time or demand any complicated skills. We will show you step-by-step instructions on igniting a fire in the pit.

Let's follow our guide! 

How To Start A Fire In A Fire Pit? 

Before starting your fire, check if local laws allow you to burn it in your yard. Also, form a habit of having a fire extinguisher or water nearby in case of emergency. 

Ensure that the area around the fire pit is free of any dry leaves, branches, or anything that may catch fire if they contact the flames or stray sparks.

There are three simple steps to start a fire in your fire pit. Keep our safety tips in mind while following these instructions. 

Step 1: Gather The Materials

The first step is to collect the necessary items, which include the following:

• Fire starter: Your options are matches, lighters, electric arcs, or torch lighters. 
• Tinder: Choose non-toxic materials for the tinder. We recommend leaves, newspaper, and tree bark. 
• Kindling: Find dry sticks that can burn long to keep your fire going. Cedar, pine, spruce, and poplar are all excellent choices. 
• Firewood: Wood logs make the foundation for your fire. The best hardwoods are birch, oak, maple, and ash. 

Gather the necessary materials

Step 2: Build The Fire

Ventilation is the key here. The fire needs oxygen to ignite and remain. Hence, bear it in mind when building a fire with kindling, tinder, and fuel wood. 

There are three structures you can try:

• Cross fire

Arrange the tinder materials in the fire pit. Next, set the kindling and fuel wood in a crisscross pattern. Ensure to allow some space for ventilation.  

• Teepee fire

Place the tinder in the fire pit and then pile kindling pieces vertically around it, leaving a gap on each side. Then, use the same vent hole in the structure and repeat the steps with fuel wood. 

• Log-cabin fire

Start by putting the tinder materials in the fire pit. Next, build a teepee-shaped structure out of kindling pieces by arranging them vertically around the tinder. The structure now looks like a teepee.

Set two extra wood pieces perpendicularly across the first two ones on one side of the teepee. Repeat the pattern until you form a log-cabin structure. 

Step 3: Ignite The Tinder

After building a solid structure with sufficient ventilation, it's time to ignite it. You need matches, a lighter, or a flint-and-steel combo for this step. 

Now, fire the tinder. Remember to ignite the chosen material from different sides to burn evenly. 

If you choose the flint-and-steel combo, the steel should be near the tinder pile. Then, you can create sparks by striking the flint against it. 

Build the structure and ignite the tinder  

How To Keep A Fire Going In A Fire Pit? 

The flames will spread rapidly. But, it's crucial to constantly keep an eye on the fire to avoid it spreading or going out. 

Maintain your fire by putting the hot coals and embers generated from the burnt kindling and tinder into a pile to boost the heat. A long stick or a poker will help you with this. 

The fire also needs oxygen to keep going. Blowing on the burning coals is a fantastic way to enhance ventilation in the fire pit. 

Also, remove the burned sections of the fire to introduce new wood to the fire pit. More fuel logs can keep your fire burning well. 

Keep an eye on the fire to control and maintain it

How To Put Out A Fire In A Fire Pit?

If you want to put out your fire, do it about 20 minutes beforehand. It needs time to stop completely. 

Water is the fastest and most effective method for this purpose. Slowly pour water on your fire to extinguish the coals, flames, and residual heat. 

You may still hear some hissing noises when putting out the fire with water. Then, use a poker to move the embers, ash, and coals in the fire pit to check. You need to dump water over the ash again until the fire becomes quiet and cool. 

Conclusion 

After finding the right materials, you can burn your fire in the fire pit quickly. Remember to take safety measures while working with fire. 

Please comment in the section below if you have difficulty following our guide. We will reply to you soon. Thank you for reading! 

Article Source: https://www.campfireusa.org/how-to-start-a-fire-in-a-fire-pit

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