How to light a fire?

joejoem

Yes its a stupid as it sounds. My parents switched to a gas fire when I was young so I never learnt the best way to light a fire. Now I'm not an imbocile, I can get a fire going, but I use 3 firelighters and loads of paper! There has to be an easier way, and less costly on firelighters and paper etc.

I bought a load of turf and big logs yesterday, is there a 1,2,3 step way of lighting a fire? Should I get kindling or will firelighters be enough. How do you build up the fire etc

Thanks

GreeBo

start with a core of flammable stuff that will light easily
tightly rolled up newspaper or firelighters
then build up around that in a tee-pee fashion using sticks firelighters brickettes coal
get the inner part lit and bobs your uncle
Spend a few minutes blowing on it to help it catch
long, slow breaths are best.

MicraBoy

I thought these days you just light the packet!

Personally, if you are not going to use a firelog or some such, use a few sheets of bunched paper, a couple of firelighters, and a tepee of sticks. Once the sticks are burning properly I throw on a shovel of coal. When that is all going nicely I add coal as necessary.

cormie

I've been lighting the fire since I was about 5 years old, this is the best way I've come up with. Before you do anything, clean out the ashes, do this every time as it gives more oxygen to the fire (easier to get it going). Make sure you don't put hot ashes into a plastic bag, if the ashes are hot, put them into a metal bucket. Once the ashes are cleaned out, anything that wont fall down the grate is fine as there is still burning left in it, also, if you're stuck for cash you could get a sibh with holes about 3mm square and sibh the ashes as you take them out, you'll be left with a sibh full of little bits of coal that still have burn left in them, if you're doing this, throw these on the fire once it is going a good hour or two.

The minimum you need is:
One firelighter. You only need a piece about 50x40mm or so.
Wood: about 4 bits of wood
Brickettes: 1
Coal: Full bucket
Match/lighter

Place the small bit of firelighter in the middle of the grate, more towards the front so you can then lean the wood against the front plate. Position the 3/4 pieces of wood so the flames from the firelighter will contact them all and so they are also leaving enough room for oxygen flow. Make sure to leave a gap towards the front so you can fit a match in to light it once it's built up. Next the brickettes, take 2 brickettes and with your poker lean down on the brickette until it splits, you can get 3 strips of brickette out of one brickette if done correctly. Position these so they will also make contact with the flame but more importantly, that they will make and stay in contact with the flames from the wood. Leave access for a lighter and once built up light the firelighter. Wait until the firelighter is fully lit and the wood starts to burn and create its own flames. This will take about 2 minutes. Once you see this, throw some coal on and in about 20 minutes it will be on its way.

That is a guide for using the bare minimum. If not done correctly, it may not light properly. If you have trouble with this, use a bigger piece of firelighter, about 120x40mm. This should also reduce the 20 minute starting time.

If you do not have wood, use the same method with the brickettes but use 1 1/2 brickettes, or 2 if you need to.

Paper is not the best for lighting fires and is really on used if you don't have any firelighters, not in conjunction with firelighters. If you find you run out of firelighters, paper will suffice but it is good to have left over fat handy (always keep your left over fat if you are tight on money, pour the fat into a cup and keep it in the fridge) wipe some fat over the paper and scrunch it up into as tight a ball as possible, do this with about 8 pieces of paper and use brickettes/wood and then coal on top too.

If you ever find your method has failed because you have tried to use too little a firelighter, try and stick another one in. If there is hint of burning, get some fat (butter will also do, not the spread, pure butter/oil etc) and pour over the coal. This will melt down and once it contacts the burning piece should light up and get things going again.

Let me know how you get on:)

joejoem

cormie wrote:

I've been lighting the fire since I was about 5 years old, this is the best way I've come up with. Before you do anything, clean out the ashes, do this every time as it gives more oxygen to the fire (easier to get it going). Make sure you don't put hot ashes into a plastic bag, if the ashes are hot, put them into a metal bucket. Once the ashes are cleaned out, anything that wont fall down the grate is fine as there is still burning left in it, also, if you're stuck for cash you could get a sibh with holes about 3mm square and sibh the ashes as you take them out, you'll be left with a sibh full of little bits of coal that still have burn left in them, if you're doing this, throw these on the fire once it is going a good hour or two.

The minimum you need is:
One firelighter. You only need a piece about 50x40mm or so.
Wood: about 4 bits of wood
Brickettes: 1
Coal: Full bucket
Match/lighter

Place the small bit of firelighter in the middle of the grate, more towards the front so you can then lean the wood against the front plate. Position the 3/4 pieces of wood so the flames from the firelighter will contact them all and so they are also leaving enough room for oxygen flow. Make sure to leave a gap towards the front so you can fit a match in to light it once it's built up. Next the brickettes, take 2 brickettes and with your poker lean down on the brickette until it splits, you can get 3 strips of brickette out of one brickette if done correctly. Position these so they will also make contact with the flame but more importantly, that they will make and stay in contact with the flames from the wood. Leave access for a lighter and once built up light the firelighter. Wait until the firelighter is fully lit and the wood starts to burn and create its own flames. This will take about 2 minutes. Once you see this, throw some coal on and in about 20 minutes it will be on its way.

That is a guide for using the bare minimum. If not done correctly, it may not light properly. If you have trouble with this, use a bigger piece of firelighter, about 120x40mm. This should also reduce the 20 minute starting time.

If you do not have wood, use the same method with the brickettes but use 1 1/2 brickettes, or 2 if you need to.

Paper is not the best for lighting fires and is really on used if you don't have any firelighters, not in conjunction with firelighters. If you find you run out of firelighters, paper will suffice but it is good to have left over fat handy (always keep your left over fat if you are tight on money, pour the fat into a cup and keep it in the fridge) wipe some fat over the paper and scrunch it up into as tight a ball as possible, do this with about 8 pieces of paper and use brickettes/wood and then coal on top too.

If you ever find your method has failed because you have tried to use too little a firelighter, try and stick another one in. If there is hint of burning, get some fat (butter will also do, not the spread, pure butter/oil etc) and pour over the coal. This will melt down and once it contacts the burning piece should light up and get things going again.

Let me know how you get on:)

Thanks, thats deadly

CJhaughey

I usually use a little white spirits , maybe a capful splashed over some kindling and coal then throw a match in and stand back.

charlesanto

Rather than trying to leave gaps to get a lighter in, just build up the fire as normal then light a sheet of newspaper and shove it under the grate !

Dilbert75

Our preferred method is to place maybe 2 small pieces of firelighter on the grate, place one piece of kindling on each side (you can buy it in bags for about €2), light the firelighters, place a few pieces of kindling across the top (leaving gaps), allow to burn for a few minutes and then throw on your coal or whatever.

mad m

As was already posted using some sticks etc,my grandad always used a sheet of evening press,or nowadays the herald,place it over the main hole of fireplace leaving no gaps and you will get the draught effect and watch that baby burn....:D