Having a fire pit in your backyard is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, especially in the colder months. It is a fantastic way to gather with your family and friends and watch the stars as you share funny stories.
However, to enjoy a comfortable outdoor space, you need to know how to create a lasting fire in your fire pit. You can fuel your fire pit with different options like wood, propane, and natural gas. A wood fire pit is a conventional fire pit and the most common.
But how do you light a fire pit with wood?
Here, we will look at ways in which you can start a fire pit with wood.
Which Type of Wood is Best for Use in A Fire Pit?
If you intend to use wood to build a fire, it is vital that you choose the best type that will give you a healthy and strong blaze. Typically, the best type of wood comes from hardwoods like maple, ash, oak, and hickory.
Although these woods may take longer to catch fire, they burn longer because their wood fibers are closer together. Hardwoods also do not put off much smoke like wood from softwoods.
Softwood like pine, cedar, and fir are also good fuel options, although they burn wit speed and emit a lot of smoke. Also, unlike hardwoods, softwoods poop, crackle, and throw more sparks because of the high moisture content. To prevent this, make sure that your log is completely dry.
To get a long-lasting fire, it is highly advisable to combine softwoods with hardwoods. Start with softwoods and hardwoods on top.
How to Start a Wood Fire in a Fire Pit
Knowing how to start a fire with wood is easy and something that you can do in your backyard as long as you have the essential materials. Generally, there are two ways of doing this: the traditional way and using a log lighter system.
How to Light a Wood Fire Pit the Traditional Way
The first thing is to prepare the fire pit and this includes searching for a suitable location. Ensure that the area you choose is level ground to prevent tipping over as this can lead to fire accidents. Also, the fire pit should be fire-resistant material like brick or concrete. Otherwise, a surface with a lot of plants can cause disaster. Build the fire pit far from buildings and structures that can pose a risk.
You also need to gather the necessary items that you will need to light a fire quickly and efficiently. If you intend to light the fire the traditional way, you will essentials like:
- Matches– These are a must for any traditional fire pit. Although you may need to put in some elbow work, matches are cheap and will help you start a fire.
- Tinder– Tinder are dry leaves, pines, newspaper, tree bark, or anything that can help you light your fire. There are many tinder options to choose from, but you need to ensure that they are dry.
- Kindling-Besides tinder, you also need small pieces of wood that will form the base of your fire pit and help to keep light up your logs. These can be dry sticks or twigs.
- Wood Logs- You need dry logs prepare a traditional fire pit with wood. You can choose firewood from hardwoods like oak and maple. You just need to ensure that the logs are dry, stacked, and seasoned. It also helps to mix small and large logs as this helps to prolong the fire.
Start the Fire
Now that you have all the essentials in place, it is now time to start the fire. Follow this step-by-step guide to do so:
- Take a pile of tinder and place it in the center of the fire pit to form the base.
- Next, stack small kindling in the fire pit on top of the tinder material to form a teepee. While doing this, ensure that you leave an opening that will allow air in for good combustion.
- Use a match or lighter to ignite the smaller kindling pieces. The small opening will also help you light the fire.
- Now add the large kindling pieces and ensure that they catch fire well.
- Add a few pieces of small woods to the fire and keep adding until they are burning strong. The larger woods should be over the smaller woods.
- If your fire pit comes with a pit cover, ensure that you put it on to maintain the fire. This is also great for safety purposes.
How to Start a Wood Fire Pit with a Log Lighter System
If the traditional method is a bit overwhelming for you, then you may want to try using a log lighter system. This is a match-lit system that lights firewood logs using natural gas. A benefit of this system is that it lights faster even when the firewood is not dry.
For this method, you will need:
- A log grate
- Grill lighter or long-stemmed match
- Wood logs
Follow these steps to light a fire pit with wood using a log lighter system.
- Start building your fire by placing several wood logs on the log grate. The log grate should be above the log lighting system.
- Use the valve key to open the gas supply.
- Use a grill lighter or match to ignite the log lighter. Alternatively, you can light a small stack of tinder before you open the gas valve supply.
- Once the log lighter is lit, you now need to close the gas supply. To do this, turn the valve key to the closed position and then remove it from the valve.
- Add wood logs to the fire pit to sustain a healthy blaze. Sit back and enjoy and have a good time with the fire.
FAQ
What do you put in a wood-burning fire pit?
When building a traditional fire pit, you will need four key components. You need a fire starter and this can be a lighter, match, a butane torch lighter, or arc lighters. The other crucial component is tinder, which is usually any small, dry material that can light easily.
You will also need kindling, which comprises smaller sticks and twigs. Lastly, you need wood, which is the foundation of this type of fire pit. If you intend to use the log lighter system, all the other materials, except wood are not necessary.
Do you have to put anything in the bottom of a fire pit?
Yes, it is highly recommended to put liner materials in the bottom of your fire pit. Some of the common liner materials for a fire pit include sand, rocks, gravel, dirt, and lava rocks. Sand is the most common material used in the bottom of the fire pit because it is relatively cheap and effortless to install. It also offers excellent heat distribution.
Conclusion
Knowing how to start a wood fire in a fire pit is crucial to keep everyone safe while keeping them warm. Follow these tips to successfully start and maintain a fire in a fire pit. Make sure that you safely put off the fire once you are done for the day.
