(Part 3) The Process of Firelighting

We have discussed at some length the elements of fire and how they interact. The next step is to describe a step by step process for lighting fires. All wood fires we make will become a variation on this theme. Having looked at the process in total, we can then examine each step in some detail.

The steps to lighting a fire:

1. Generate heat. There are many ways to do this, from friction to electricity but all rely on generating a relatively intense heat in a fairly small area.
2. Tinder ignition. A small, relatively volatile item is ignited from the heat source. The purpose of igniting tinder is to sustain the heat output from the heat source and increase the heat available by burning the tinder.
3. Kindling ignition. Kindling is perhaps best described as “small fuel”. Your tinder will not produce enough heat to ignite large fuel since its heat output will be low and relatively short lived. Kindling is therefore ignited (twigs perhaps) to built a slightly larger fire. Larger pieces of kindling can be added until enough heat is generated to ignite the main fuel.
4. Fuel ignition. When sufficient kindling has been ignited, enough heat will be generated to light the main fuel source. When this is achieved, the fire will become self sustaining and only require fuel to be added periodically rather than tended closely