Safely build a fire
Why learn to build a fire?
Fire provides heat, light, a means of cooking and boiling, safety, and signaling. "Be ready" to safely build, light, maintain, and extinguish a fire before your life depends on it.
Always practice fire safety.
Building and lighting a safe fire requires four things:
1. Dry Base
Build fire on dry ground or other dry material. Make a five-foot radius around the fire to prevent spreading.
2. Tinder
Tinder includes very dry grass, weeds, cattail down, or shreds from the inside of tree bark. Pocket lint and cotton are also good tinder.
3. Ignition Source
A match, lighter, magnesium rod and striker, or magnifying lens are all good ignition sources. Learn different methods.
4. Kindling
Kindling is what the fast burning tinder ignites. Gather kindling in at least three different sizes. Begin with dry wood about toothpick to matchstick size. Build these in a tee-pee around the tinder BEFORE lighting. Build a second tee-pee of Q-tip sized kindling around the first tee-pee. Finally build a third tee-pee of pencil sized kindling.
