How to Start a Fire in a Fireplace

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Longing for the coziness of a fire? Follow these tips for a safe and successful experience.

Warning
Never use charcoal lighter, kerosene, or gasoline to start a fire in a fireplace.

Step 1:
Use an axe to split the softwood into foot-long, inch-wide strips for kindling. Crack the hardwood into large pieces. Place the wood by the fireplace.

Tip
Use only dry wood, and avoid wood from chestnut trees, which can throw embers.

Step 2:
Clean your fireplace thoroughly and remove all ashes.

Step 3:
Lay out the kindling in a cross pattern or pyramid on a spread of newspaper.

Step 4:
Reverse air flow in the chimney by rolling a newspaper cone and lighting it like a torch. Hold it in the chimney for a minute. This creates an upward draft.

Step 5:
Touch an ignited match to opposite ends of the paper. The kindling will be enveloped in fire within 10 minutes.

Step 6:
Maintain the fire at a slow, constant temperature once the kindling catches by placing the large pieces lengthwise or crossed above the kindling. Add more wood as needed.

Step 7:
Settle in and cozy up to the fire with a good book or that special somebody!

Did You Know?
The tallest chimney in the world reaches a height of 1,410 feet.