How to start a fire in a fire pit. Fire pits can provide a warm, welcoming ambiance to a patio area and are often used to create fond memories that last.
A fire pit is a great addition to any home’s backyard but has a wide range of styles and types.
Choosing where you want to install your fire pit first requires the most consideration if you’re looking for something central if so, consider choosing one with a sturdy base that won’t tip over in the event any children or pets choose to play nearby.
Different types of fire pits have different ways of igniting fires, so learn what safety precautions are appropriate before creating an open flame in your backyard.
How To Start A Fire In A Fire Pit
A fire can be lit by stacking firewood in your outdoor fire pit. Turn the valve key and ignite the flame under your log pile with a match or long-stemmed lighter once you are ready to ignite. Turn off the flame and remove the key once your wood has burned down.
The following instructions are for starting a fire in a fire pit step-by-step.
Build A Fire Bed
Before building your fire, make sure that your fire pit is already clean and dry. If you want to burn a lot at once, nearby pieces of firewood will suffice as long as they are relatively non-porous.
It doesn’t have to be wet or waterlogged either. Even bits of garbage from previous fires before your time is good for bases so long as they aren’t wet or damp enough to put out the flame. Lay the dry fuel in the middle of the pit. Add some fire starters around it. Light it.
Light Up Your Fire Pit
Some people prefer to make a pyramid out of newspaper and crumpled-up pieces of paper before they light the fire in their wood stove, while others like to light firelighters in the middle of the largest pile of kindling first.
My favorite way to start a fire is to use a Fire Piston so that I can control it when I start it. Once I get a good flame going with my carefully selected tinder and kindling, I stand back, admiring my creativity as I build up my woodpile around the outside next.
Adding The Kindling
The key to building a fire in a firepit is the shape of your structure. Start by putting your kindling around the outside of the pit, forming an upside-down pyramid. It’s best to use a softwood-like pine when starting any fire because it catches flame very easily.
Once you’ve placed your kindling, be sure that there are spaces evenly between each one so that oxygen can flow through them as well as other thick chunks of wood you put on top.
As for those who are completely new to this, we recommend using softwood like pine but in special circumstances where it’s necessary hardwood such as gum can be used instead.
Adding Larger Wood
As the kindling begins to burn, keep adding larger chunks of kindling to the fire. As the kindling burns, it will create a good bed of embers you can continually add wood to.
When you have a good base layer of embers, you can start adding regular pieces of wood. Once you have a bed of embers and burning pieces of wood in your firepit, simply continue to add more wood every 15 30 minutes until you are finished with your fire and it will continue to burn.
Put Out The Marshmallows
Lastly, make sure you have marshmallows handy. You can get just about any brand from the grocery store and it should work well for this project.
If you’re doing this with children you might want to keep one adult per child ratio around for supervision purposes as well as fire safety during the roasting process.
A couple of years ago I was supervising 3 young kids roasting marshmallows around the fire pit when one of them ended up getting a stinking hot marshmallow stuck to her cheek.
FAQs
In a fire pit, what is the best thing to burn?
We would recommend using hardwoods, such as oak, ash, and beech, which best suit your cooking methods. Stylish and functional, these stoves are a great option for many homes due to how durable they are.
In terms of heat retention and taste, Applewood provides a great flavor for any meats or vegetables you’re looking to cook and can be used at the start of your meal or at the end.
Is charcoal safe to use in a fire pit?
Yes, you can use charcoal in your fire pit. It still is wood that’s been burned in an oxygen-deprived area, but it is still able to burn and create heat. Other options for fueling your pit depend on the pit you have.
How To Start A Fire In A Fire Pit
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