Build a Fire

Step-by-Step

1. Gather Your Tinder

   Collect dry leaves, dead grass, bark shavings, or cattail fluff. Shape it into a loose nest about the size of your fist. Dry tinder is everything — if it's damp, the fire won't catch.

2. Prepare Your Kindling

   Find sticks roughly the width of a pencil to a finger. Break them into 6–10 inch lengths. Stack them in a teepee or log-cabin shape over your tinder nest, leaving airflow gaps.

3. Stage Your Fuel Wood

   Have your larger logs ready before you light anything. Wrist-sized and forearm-sized pieces. You won't have time to gather wood once the fire is going.

4. Strike Your Spark

   Use a lighter, matches, or flint and steel. Hold the flame or spark beneath the tinder nest — heat rises. Blow gently and steadily, not frantically. Feed oxygen, don't smother.

5. Feed the Flame

   As the tinder catches, add small kindling first. Don't rush to the big logs. Build the fire's confidence before you ask it to work harder. Add fuel gradually as the base grows.

6. Maintain and Extinguish Safely

   Never leave a fire unattended. To extinguish: drown it with water, stir the ashes, and drown again. The ground should be cool to the touch before you leave.