Setting the Blaze
The Fire Recipe
Fire is a simple recipe with three ingredients. Heat, oxygen & fuel. With this combination, the chemical reaction combustion is able to occur, this is often referred to as the fire triangle.
A heat source is responsible for the initial ignition of the flame. When starting a fire, this can be a lighter, matches or flint and steel.
Fuel is any kind of combustible material. Think in terms of birch bark, twigs or logs.
Oxygen supports the chemical processes that occur during fire. Most fires require around 16% oxygen in order to burn.
Fire Starting Methods
Before starting your own, it's important to check your city's regulations in regards to backyard recreational fires. Here are the laws and regulations for Minneapolis. Please also carefully read the safety precautions outlined below.
Bow-Drill
The bow-drill method relies on friction to create an ember between two pieces of wood. Traditionally, it was an alternate use (from shooting) for a bowstring. The idea is to use the mechanical advantage provided by the bow in or to move the stick around faster in the whole and create more friction. More friction means more heat, and more heat means a higher chance of creating an ember.
After considerable sawing back and forth with good rhythm you may notice the drill hole starting to smoke. Keep going a bit longer and then quickly check the hole for a glowing red ember. If you’ve got one, carefully knock it out of the hole and into the center of your tinder bundle.
***Raise the bundle up in your hands over your head and softly blow on the ember from below. To light, a flame needs oxygen. Blowing on the ember provides this.
After your bundle is lit, carefully place it in your fire construction. Gradually feed the fire larger and larger pieces of fuel until it is going strong. Don’t get over confident, a fire needs constant attention for the first half an hour or so, as long as it takes to form a sturdy bed of coals.
Flint & Steel
The flint and steel method is a bit easier and a bit more advanced. Early humans probably learned by accident that striking metal against a certain rock creates a spark. Now instead of rubbing two sticks together for hours, all they had to do was bash some metal against a special rock, flint, to make their spark.
Hold the flint in your off-hand (if you’re right-handed this means your left hand, and vise-versa). Now take the steel’s edge against the flint and scrape it away from your body with a firm motion. Point the tip of the flint into the center of your tinder bundle. Once a spark successfully catches on something in your bundle, nurture the fire as seen in method one.
Matches
The match method is the same as the last two except for the fact that you’re a lucky duck with matches. It’s important to remember to have matches on any wilderness trip, preferably waterproof, and store in multiple locations in your pack and/or clothing. They just may save your life!
Safety & Leave No Trace
Fire is dangerous. Safety is the number one concern when making a fire, when around a fire and when building a fire. Fire is one of the most important tools in the wilderness, and front country; it’s how we survive.
When you build a fire, you are creating a danger -- it is your responsibility to ensure safety of yourself and others. We are teaching you a very useful tool, but you must understand the possible harm if it is not properly controlled.
Rules of Thumb
Never leave a fire unattended
Never play with the fire or sticks that have been in the fire.
When putting out the fire drown it, stir it, and drown it again—you want to make sure there are absolutely no smoldering embers left.
If possible & depending on the ecosystem you are in, build a fire on rock or rock face rather than on dirt because
embers can travel underground in rare cases which can cause a forest fire.Make sure the fire is a safe distance away from vegetation, both on the ground and above. Take note of the general dryness of the environment. Ask yourself, “Is it rainy outside? Is the fuel green? Is the fuel dry?”