Whether you’ve got an older hearth or have just installed a brand new fireplace, it’s important to know how to start a fire safely. If you have an electric or gas fireplace, this could be as simple as checking your connections and turning a switch.
But wood-burning fireplaces can be a little more complicated. They offer traditional charm, but often require a little more hands-on maintenance.
In this article, we cover how to start a fire step-by-step, including how to choose your materials, maintenance, and more.
To learn more or explore our range of fireplace services, contact our team at Elite Fireplaces Sydney today.
1. Prepare the Area
The first step to starting your fire is to set up the area. This means clearing out the ashes and checking the flue. Here is the safest way to do this:
Clearing Ashes
If you regularly use your fireplace, it’s probably filled with ash. This can actually be detrimental and even potentially dangerous. Too much buildup could cause hot ashes or coal to spill out of the fireplace and into the home.
Use a small shovel or trowel to clear the ashes, transferring them into a metal container for safe disposal.
Your flue is what directs smoke out of your house. A blocked flue can trap smoke inside, leading to potential property damage and even posing a significant risk to your health.
Checking the Flue
To check your flue, use a torch to look for any blockages. Also, open and close your damper to ensure it is working correctly.
Finally, light the end of a rolled-up newspaper and hold it up to the open damper. Do this until you can feel the warm air begin to get sucked up the flue. This means your fireplace is ready to be lit.
2. Find the Right Tools
To light a fire safely and effectively, you’ll need the right tools. To start with, you should have:
- Matches
- A screen
- Tongs or log grabbers
- Firelighters
By keeping these items nearby, you can ensure your fire is set up quickly and correctly.
3. Choose Your Materials
Finally, you won’t be able to light your fire without the right materials. You’ll need dry wood or logs to get started. Along with these few pieces, you’ll also need a stack of more so that you can keep the fire burning.
Likewise, kindling is crucial and can come in different forms. This is what we call small bits of flammable material that help the fire catch. You could use newspaper, twigs, sticks, logs split into small pieces, or even dry grass.
4. Setting Up Your Kindling
Once you have all the materials, you’re finally ready for setup. Pile kindling strategically on top of your grill. Some people lay them in a criss-cross fashion or try to pile them up into a teepee shape.
This allows air to pass through your fireplace, helping your fire grow. Kindling that is stacked too tightly together may smother the fire before it has a chance to catch.
You’ll then want to use your matches to start lighting different spots of your kindling. Once lit, you’ll need to keep feeding more kindling into your fireplace, as it will burn very quickly and potentially go out.
If your kindling is struggling to catch, try using fire starters. These little cubes can be placed around and inside your kindling and act as a concentrated fuel source.
5. Adding Logs and Firewood
Once you’re confident in your kindling fire, you’ll need to start adding logs. Start with one or two and stack them in a similar way to how you stacked your kindling.
Logs that fall out of place can potentially put out your fire, so don’t be afraid to use your tongs or a poker to adjust their position. The best way to stack your logs may differ depending on the size and style of your fireplace.
This means that you should take your time finding what works best for you and sticking to that.
6. Maintaining Your Fire
Maintaining your fire does take a bit of skill and practice. You’ll want to keep an eye on it after first introducing your logs to ensure that they catch properly. If they don’t, try adding more kindling or adjusting the position of the logs.
Once burning, you’ll only need to add a new log or two once your current one burns out. A burnt-out log will likely be entirely blackened, and the edges may start crumbling into ashes.
Once your fire is burning cheerily away, and all the smoke is going up the chimney, you can finally put your screen in front of it. This acts as a barrier, protecting your home from jumping hot coals and ash.
Keep the Heart of Your Home Burning Bright
At Elite Fireplaces, we offer custom fireplace design and installation services. Whether you would prefer a charming wood fireplace or more convenient gas or electric options, we’re the team for you.
Worried about the condition of a current fireplace? We also offer fireplace maintenance and restoration services. For all your local fireplace needs, reach out to our expert team today.