Building the perfect fire isn’t just about stacking wood and striking a match. It requires the right materials, proper technique, and a keen awareness of safety and environmental responsibility. Whether you're a seasoned camper or a first-time fire builder, we’ll help you master the steps for a successful experience.

Before you begin, choose a safe location. Always check for fire bans or restrictions before you light a match. If you’re not sure, a park ranger or camp host will be able to tell you. You can look on the Department of Natural Resources website, too. If there’s high-risk, use a stove for cooking instead of a campfire. Use a designated fire ring with a grate provided at the campsite. If no ring is available, choose a spot on dirt, away from trees, roots, and dry vegetation, at least fifteen feet away from tents.  If it’s not too windy, build a windbreak with rocks or logs. Have water and a small shovel close by to help you control the fire. Keep fires small and manageable as you can easily lose control of a large fire. 

Gather your materials. You’ll need three types of fuel for your fire – tinder, kindling, and firewood. Tinder can be dry leaves, grass, wood shavings, or paper. Kindling is small sticks about the size of a pencil. You can cut kindling from larger logs using  an OLFA Works Bushcraft Saw or the Sanga Bushcraft Knife. Gather tinder and kindling wood away from your camp to avoid depleting resources near the campsite, especially in a wilderness area. Never cut live trees, and only use what you need. Purchase firewood from the ranger station or a reputable wood source in the area – don’t transport firewood from somewhere else to avoid spreading disease. Larger logs or split wood will keep your fire burning longer. 

Different fire starting methods serve different purposes to build the right type of fire to improve your campfire experience. The teepee method is great when you need a quick flame for warmth or cooking. Stack your tinder in the center and surround it with kindling in a cone shape. Lean larger sticks around the center, adding larger logs as the fire grows. The log cabin fire method gives you a fire that lasts longer and burns more evenly. Start by laying kindling in the center using the teepee method, then as the fire catches, stack logs around the center in a shape resembling a log cabin. Keep adding to it as the logs burn down but avoid adding too much. To light a fire, use a match, lighter, or a fire starter to ignite the tinder. Little by little, add kindling and then firewood once the fire is going. Have a stick handy to adjust the wood to be sure you have the right amount of airflow. Keep water and a shovel nearby, as well as fireproof gloves and a wet rag.

 

Firestarters are handy to have, especially if your campsite is damp or rainy. You can buy premade firestarters, but it is more fun to make your own. Cotton balls and petroleum jelly starters are lightweight and easy to make. Rub a generous amount of petroleum jelly into cotton balls, then store them in a plastic bag. Pull apart a few when you need to start a fire, lighting the fibers with a match. They should burn for about five minutes. Make recycled fire starters with dryer lint, egg cartons, and leftover candles or crayons. Put lint in the egg carton sections, then melt the wax in a double boiler or a tin can over a fire. Pour the melted wax over each section, letting it cool and harden. Cut the sections apart. These will burn for about 15 minutes once you light them. Leftover sawdust or wood shavings – available from a lumber yard or construction site – make excellent firestarters when you combine with melted wax. Line muffin tins with paper cupcake liners. Fill with sawdust, then pour over melted wax and fill to the rim. Let them harden and then take them out of the muffin tin. These will usually burn for a longer period of time – 15 to 20 minutes or so. One last recycled firestarter idea is to take empty toilet paper rolls and stuff them tightly with dryer lint. You can use sawdust or shredded paper, too. Fold the ends in to keep the filling secure. Coat with petroleum jelly or wax for a longer burn period. They burn quickly, about five to ten minutes. 

Starting a fire in the rain can be challenging, but that doesn’t mean starting a fire is impossible. Look under tree bark, inside logs, or under rocks for dry material. You can shave off the outside bark of sticks to get to a dry layer. Firestarters come in handy under these conditions. Waterproof matches or a lighter are a must! Build your fire on a bed of dry sticks to keep it off of the wet ground. If you can, dig a trench so water can drain away. The teepee or log cabin method allows air flow and that will encourage efficient burning. Before you add larger logs, feed the flame with thinner dry wood to keep it going. 

Having kids around a campfire is a lot of fun and a wonderful experience for them. Kids are impulsive, though, so it’s important to keep them safe around the fire. First, set clear fire safety rules. Draw a three foot ‘safety circle’ around the fire and teach your kids to stay outside of the circle. There should be no playing or running close to the fire and they should not throw cans or plastics into it. Teach kids to stop, drop, and roll if their clothing catches fire, and how to use a blanket to smother flames. An adult needs to be watching the fire and supervising them as long as a fire is lit. It helps to assign a watcher instead of assuming someone else is watching. Place camp chairs or logs for seating at a safe distance so no one accidentally falls into the fire. Keep a water bucket and shovel close to the fire. It’s probably a good idea to have burn cream in your first-aid kit, too. When the fun is over for the night – marshmallow roasting, storytelling, singing songs – involve children in extinguishing the fire. 

In case you’ve forgotten to bring along store-bought roasting sticks, here’s a DIY method that will save the day. Scavenge the area for a sturdy, green branch. Use an OLFA Works Bushcraft Saw to cut it. Strip off the bark and sharpen the end with a Sanga Bushcraft Knife. Make sure the branches are sturdy and long enough to keep kids safe from the fire. Use it to roast hot dogs or marshmallows. And don’t burn it up if you’re staying for several days!

Before bed or any time you’re leaving your campsite, you need to make sure the fire is completely out. First, let it burn down to ash before you attempt to put it out. Pour water over the embers and stir them with a stick. Continue to do this until they are all extinguished and the fire feels cold. Test it with the back of your hand. If it still feels warm, it’s not out. Add more water and continue to stir. This is a good time to teach kids how to safely put out a fire, too. Let them participate as much as they are able for their age. Teach them that ashes can stay hot for a long time and that they should continue to stay away from the fire ring. 

Whenever you’re camping, don’t leave your OLFA Works tools behind. They are helpful with camp jobs, especially building and maintaining your campfire!