Health & Fitness
5 Steps to Building the Best Fire in a Fire Pit
Now that the weather's cooled off, learn how to build a fire that lasts long, burns hot, and requires the least maintenance.
Fire pits are so much fun, I sometimes wonder if I’m a borderline pyromaniac! The weather has cooled down a bit and it's the perfect time to invite some friends over for a fire. It's a fun social activity and helps to keep the bugs away at night.
As easy as it is to go to 7-11 and buy a Dura-Log and some Hot Sticks, I’m the type of girl that would rather go around gathering up all the twigs and branches in my own yard, my landlord’s yard, (and sometimes my neighbor’s yard) to build a fire! Dura-Logs smell bad and they just don’t give me the same sense of accomplishment as building a fire with some sticks and newspaper does. This method requires very little maintenance and will burn down nicely.
Here’s what you’ll need:
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- A Fire Pit
- Newspaper
- A BBQ Lighter
- A Large Bucket of Twigs and Branches (Small, Medium & Large)
Step 1: Crumple some newspaper into 3 or 4 baseball-sized balls and arrange them in the middle of the fire pit.
Step 2: Arrange the smallest twigs in the shape of a teepee around the balls of newspaper. The key here is to use the thinnest twigs first. Save the bigger ones for later.
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Step 3: Light the newspaper with your BBQ lighter. Gently blow on the fire to give it some oxygen.
Step 4: Once the teepee of twigs is burning, arrange the largest branches in a teepee on top of the smaller ones.
Step 5: Keep feeding the fire with the leftover branches, filling in the spaces until you have a nice full fire burning.
It’s always wise to remember some simple safety precautions when having a fire. Set up your fire pit away from the house, away from dry leaves, wood decking and combustible materials. I also put my fire pit on top of bricks to absorb the heat from underneath. It’s also a good idea to have a bucket of sand handy. Sand will put out a flame much easier (and less messier) than water. Never use your bare hand to touch the wood. It’s a lot hotter than you’d think! I use an Ove-Glove since I tend to be prone to burns of all kinds. But some quality fireplace tongs and a poker work just as well! Most importantly, just use common sense!
Now grab your marshmallows and skewers and you’re good to go! Enjoy!
