Use the humble match to build a successful fire.
Lighters add a touch of convenience to making any fire. Spin the flint wheel or push a button, and a flame instantly appears. One day, however, the lighter's gone missing, and matches appear to be your sole option for getting your indoor fire started. Fortunately, you won't need many of these. Using and arranging the right materials properly within your fireplace not only saves effort and labor, but creates an efficient burning fire.
Instructions
1. Crumple sheets of newspaper to place beneath your fire grate. Crumple enough paper to extend from one end of the grate to the other. Use only black-and-white print newspaper or brown paper bags torn into large pieces and crumpled. Avoid using paper containing color print. Color print contains chemicals are unsafe to burn.
2. Place the sheets of newspaper beneath the grate from one end to the other. Do not cram the pieces of newspaper together, which can prevent precious air from circulating.
3. Lay dry kindling, such as twigs and thin branches, atop the grate. Arrange the kindling in a criss-cross fashion to allow air to circulate.
4. Place one split section of dry, seasoned hardwood across the left end of the grate and a second section of a split log across the right end of the grate.
5. Push the two pieces of wood back so that they're touching the backside of the fireplace. Arrange them so that the ends touching the backside of the fireplace are closer together than the ends pointing away from the fireplace.
6. Set a section of log across your first two logs. Move this log back until it touches the back wall of the fireplace. For a stronger blaze, add a second log directly beside this first log.
7. Open the damper above your fireplace.
8. Twist a section of black-and-white print newspaper into a sort of rope. Light one end of the paper and hold it into the vent. Warming the air causes the air to begin rising up the chimney.
9. Use the lighted "rope" to ignite both ends of the newspaper beneath your grate.
