Summary: /* Start with tinder */
[[Image:Firelogcabin.jpg|thumb|250px|left|A classic "log cabin" style fire. Photo by kw.traveller/[http://www.flickr.com/photos/kw_traveller/4660176968/in/photostream/ Flickr]/CC]]
There's more to building a a good fire than just squirting some lighter fluid on wood and flicking a match.
Sure, it works to get things started. But if you build a proper fire and pay attention to the arrangement of the wood, your results will be longer lasting, hotter and safer, whether outdoors on the trail or in the fireplace in your living room.
''This article is part of '''a wiki anyone can edit.''' If you have advice to add about starting fires, log in and contribute.''
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===Know your science===
Before you start building a fire, it's worth taking a minute to understand what makes a fire possible -- namely, fuel, heat, oxygen and a sustained chemical reaction.
The first is easy. In this case, your fuel is wood and tinder.
The heat in the equation refers to the initial heat you provide to start the fire, whether from a match or by rubbing two sticks together.
To provide enough oxygen, we need to make sure the wood and other burnables aren't so tightly packed that the fire snuffs itself out.
The last bit is simply a reminder that a burning fire is actually a chemical reaction. Fuel and oxygen are consumed, producing heat and light as byproducts. Block any component of that reaction and your fire will go out.
===Start with tinder===
Tinder refers to anything that ignites easily and can feed the initial flame to the next step in the chain. Good tinder includes paper, dry grasses, dried moss, pine needles, wood shavings, and even lint or wax. Denim, if frayed and unraveled will do in a pinch.
If you're building an outdoor fire, pine needles and dry grass are likely to be your most plentiful sources of tinder. For indoor fires, grab the Sunday paper and crumple it up. What? The Sunday paper is on your iPad? Yet another drawback of digital publishing...
===Kindling===
The next step in the chain is kindling. Where the main goal of tinder is to ignite quickly, kindling consists of larger materials so that when the heat from the tinder moves on to the kindling the fire grows.
The best source of kindling will usually be dry twigs or small pieces of wood chipped from your main logs. Try to find twigs about 1/8 to 1/2 inch thick. Other good sources of kindling include bark or cardboard. Whatever you use, make sure it is very dry.
===Fuel===
[[Image:Teepeefire.jpg|300px|right|thumb|The classic teepee, one of the many architectural methods of fire-building. Photo by Matt DeTurck/[http://www.flickr.com/photos/dalboz17/295420227/ Flickr]/CC]]
Once the tinder ignites, it feeds heat to the kindling which then catches on fire and passes even more heat onto the actual fuel. This is where your logs come in. This is also where you'll find a number of different fire "architectures."
* '''The teepee:''' Stack your larger fuel logs in a teepee or cone shape around the tinder and kindling. As the the fuel begins to burn, the outside logs will catch at the base and then fall inward as they burn, feeding the fire.
* '''The trench:''' Best used when you don't have a lot of fuel. To build a trench fire, dig a small cross under the fire; dig down about 4 inches. Lay your tinder at the center of the two channels and then build the fire on top of that. The two channels you've dug out will pull in air and create an updraft that helps feed the fire.
* '''The log cabin:''' Build a four-walled box outside your tinder and kindling by stacking your fuel logs in alternating directions, just like a log cabin. This method creates an effect similar to a chimney, and the heat on the inside pulls oxygen through the gaps in your "cabin" walls, feeding the fire.
* '''The pyramid:''' Also known at the upside down fire, the pyramid starts with two larger logs laid on the ground, parallel to each other. Then lay a foundation of other logs across your base. Then add another layer in the opposite direction to the one below it. Continue adding layers, using smaller, thinner logs as you go up. Add your kindling above the last layer and then the tinder on top of that. Light from the top and the pyramid will burn down. This method works well in indoor fireplaces.
'''Tip''': Which architecture is best depends on the situation you're facing. The teepee is best if the fuel wood is wetter, since logs outside the main fire can dry before they burn. The pyramid is compact and requires very little maintenance, making it ideal for an all night fire.
===Summon the god of wind===
Occasionally, you have to fan your fire to keep it going, especially if it's small. We recommend this method:
<youtube>389DkzjHpus</youtube>
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Source: http://feeds.wired.com/~r/howtowiki/~3/Jc3IJCe8pTI/Build_a_Fire
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