The Element of Fire

Fire can be a vital link between survival and succumbing to the elements.  It can be used for cooking, boiling water, keeping warm, and lifting spirits during stressful times.  Over the years, I have watched many fellow campers attempt to build a fire and fail, so I thought I would share some insight.

Introduction to building a fire
When I think of building a fire I think of my dad.  He was accomplished in many areas, and when it came to creating fire, it was no exception.  He also prided himself in starting a fire without matches and paper, and I can still picture him huddled over a piece of wood with his bow, the twine twirling a stick, the smoke slowly building and then a flame rising out of the tinder.  He would then transport the flame to a neatly prepared frame of larger twigs and branches where it would burst into a real, although fairly small campfire.  My mom, who would be eying the event from the other side of camp would say, "Now dear, make that into a real fire; one that will help keep me warm."  I should also point out that my dad believed a fire should be small.  He would talk about the Indians and how their fires were only as large as necessary, which was usually very small.  My mom believed that since she was mostly Irish, and she was certain that the Irish required large fires to keep warm, was never satisfied. 

My dad and I would have competitions building a fire without matches and paper, and I was known for introducing some very creative ways of starting a fire.  One of my methods was with a magnifying glass, however, since we often were camping along the Northwest coast, and I couldn't always count on the sun shining through the clouds, I had to develop other techniques.  A quick and easy way was to use flint and steel or a piece of magnesium and a knife.  It's easy to flick sparks onto some dry tinder, or by making a small pile of magnesium flakes, you can start even damp shavings burning.  I think my dad drew the line when I brought out a "D" battery and some fine steel wool.  By touching the two ends of a piece of the steel wool to the positive and negative ends of the battery, the electricity flowing through the steel wool would heat up enough to start the oil in the steel wool burning, which in turn would light the tinder.  My dad said that didn't count, because the Indians didn't have steel wool and "D" batteries, and I told him they didn't have twine, either. 

I have to say that learning to light a fire without matches, paper or on occasion, dry wood in the Olympic Rain Forest, has given me the ability to light a fire with the bare minimum of resources available, pretty much anywhere.

First, a word about safety
I have a healthy respect for fire and what it can do.  To help avoid a conflagration, here are some simple rules to follow:

1. The ground where you build a fire should be bare soil, or better yet, sand or gravel.  If there is a fire pit already built, use it.  Clean away the organic covering and save it to replace over the area when you are done.
2. As my dad would say, only build a fire as big as needed.  No unnecessary bonfires.  Also, it's much easier to cook on, get close to, and maintain a smaller fire.
3. Your fire should be away from trees, dry grass and other burnable materials, and you should have an area cleared in a circle with at least a ten-foot diameter.  Make certain there are no tree roots that will start smoldering and can eventually work it's way to the main tree trunk.
4. Keep a bucket of water or sand or a fire extinguisher close at hand.
5. Treat a fire as serious business and not something to play with.
6. When you are done with your fire, make sure it's completely out.
   

How to build a fire:

Preparation:
I find that the biggest mistake made is being in too much of a hurry to get the proper materials gathered.  Once a fire starts, you don't want to be running around looking for dry wood.
If there is a significant wind, you should make a wind block out of rocks or other non-burnable material.

Starter:
A match or lighter is the easiest starter, but it's good to have a backup.  Learning to start a fire without a match is a basic survival skill.  I mentioned using a small magnesium rod with a knife.  I also carry some cotton balls in my emergency kit, and this combination works well.

Tinder:
The second item you will need is "tinder."  Tinder is material that will burn easily and fast and will help get the fire going.  It can be wood shavings, dry grass, or even commercial fire starter purchased from an camping supply store.  If you find yourself needing to building a fire in the rain or damp conditions, you can often find dry, dead branches in trees.  The Indians called it "squaw wood, " because it is the size a woman can carry, and when the squaws went out to gather wood, this is what they would bring back.  The Boy Scouts say have enough dry tinder to fill your scout hat.

Kindling:
Next you need kindling.  It's dead twigs and should be no thicker than a pencil.  Gather twice the amount you collected for tinder.

Fuel:
Finally, you need fuel; wood that is larger than kindling up to six inches in diameter or even larger.  Use dead, dry wood.  Green or rotten wood doesn't burn well.


Setting your fire:
Once you have your wood gathered, you need to arrange it so it will light easily and keep burning.  The key is airflow.  It needs to be organized so that air will flow up from the base and out the top.  I have set up wood in tepee shapes, a lean-to and my favorite, a crisscross pattern.  Whatever shape you choose, start by putting the smallest wood on the bottom and increasing the diameter of the wood as you build up.  With the crisscross pattern, start with two larger logs at the bottom, so when you start stacking the wood, you have an open area at the base for the tinder.

Oxygen:
Once you light your fire, use the rim of a baseball cap or other object to fan the fire.  You will find this much easier than trying to blow on it.  As the fire catches keep adding larger wood until you reach the size you want.

Good luck!

cne