Are you and your family excited about a brand-new backyard fire pit? A night spent around a backyard fire pit is a great way to spend time with family and friends at almost any time of the year — but not everyone was a Cub Scout, Girl Scout, or Boy Scout and knows how to build a fire. If you fall into this category, you may be asking — what is the best way to build a fire in my fire pit? Fox River Fire Rings may be able to help.
Best Practices for Building a Fire in Your Fire Pit
When you get ready to build a fire in your fire pit, there are a few rules of thumb and best practices that can help make the process simple and safe. These best practices can include everything from the type of wood that you choose to burn, the method you use to actually build the base of your fire, the kindling you use, and how you approach fire safety.
Here is a quick list of the best practices for building a fire:
Build Your Fire in a Safe Place
Maybe the most important step to take when you build a fire is to make sure you build it in a safe place. This means putting your fire pit a safe distance from your home or other structures and building your fire on a safe surface. When you build a fire, it is important it is on a safe surface, like dirt, sand, or fire bricks. Building a fire on grass will kill your grass and river rocks have the potential to explode if they have any moisture.
Use the Top-Down Method to Build a Base
When you build a fire, you will need different types of fuel — large logs, kindling, and tinder. The Top-Down Method is a simplified way to build a fire that places the large logs on the bottom as the base, the smaller kindling in the middle on top of the larger logs, and the tinder on top to ignite the fire. This helps set you up for success when you build your fire and can implement Teepee or Log Cabin methods.
Light Your Fire From the Top
When you use the Top-Down Method to build and start your fire with the fast-igniting tinder on top, it is important to light your fire from the top. This allows the fire to burn downward from the tinder, burning the lighter kindling first, and then the larger logs that serve as long-burning fuel.
Use Dry and Seasoned Wood
It is important that the wood you use in your fire be dry and seasoned. Dry and seasoned wood with less than 20% moisture will burn cleaner, hotter, and safer than wood that is wet. A backyard fire with dry wood will be easier to burn, ignite faster, and burn with far less smoke than green or wet wood.
Make Sure Your Fire Can Breathe
Many people who build a fire have a habit of packing too much wood into the fire pit or packing the wood in too tightly. This prevents any airflow into your fire, and your fire needs oxygen to burn and breathe. In addition to helping your fire burn better — leaving room for air to flow can reduce the amount of smoke from your fire.
Keep Safety Equipment Nearby
When you build a fire, it is important to keep safety equipment nearby in the event of an emergency. Important equipment to have on hand when you build a fire is a fire extinguisher (if you have one) or a bucket of water or sand that can be used to extinguish the flames. You may also want to keep a shovel close by to put additional dirt, sand, or gravel on the fire if needed.
READ MORE: How To Build a Fire Pit in Your Backyard
Are you ready to enjoy a backyard fire with family and friends? If you are unfamiliar with building a fire, you may be asking — what is the best way to build a fire in my fire pit? Fox River Fire Rings has the answer with this quick look at the best practices for building a fire in your fire pit.
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