The three basic elements for a fire are fuel, flame (or intense heat), and air (oxygen). To build a wood fire, different sizes of wood -- tinder, kindling, and fuel -- should be assembled to allow for air circulation.
Tinder: any small piece of material that burns as soon as it is touched with flame; wood shavings are a good example.
Kindling: larger in diameter than tinder; must be thin enough to catch fire quickly before tinder burns out, but large enough to ignite the larger fuel.
Fuel: the larger wood that keeps fire going.
Fire starters: highly flammable materials that ignite at the touch of a match:
egg carton -- waxed sawdust, lint, or wood shavings;
trench candles -- rolled newspaper, tie with string, dip in wax
Choose a spot with no overhanging tree limbs, rotting stumps, logs, grass, or leaves; clear the ground to bare earth or rock in a 3-foot circle.
Always have a large bucket of water with a stick sitting in it near the fire.
Tie back long hair, tuck in hood strings, roll up loose sleeves, check for tied and tucked in shoelaces, and do not wear clothing with dangling ends while building or tending a fire.
Plan a fire just big enough to do the job so fuel will not be wasted.