How to get your fire started

1. Make sure the flue on the chimney is open and ensure proper ventilation in the room
2. Pile some kindling in the centre of the fire place and lay a split log on either side with the back ends angling towards each other slightly. (Don't let the ends protrude too far out of the fireplace).
3. Light the kindling and allow it to burn and the for the two logs to catch alight.
4. Once you have a moderate fire burning you can place a log or two across the fire, taking care not too add too much wood and run the risk of smothering the flames.

Be safe when you have a fire burning

Safety is always the No 1 thought when you decide to build a fire. Whether it is in your living room fireplace or on the braai outside. You don't want anyone getting hurt, you want them to keep warm

• Never go to bed and leave the fire burning unattended. A wood fire is dangerous even though it might burn out.
• Fire wood, in fact anything that burns gives off gases as it burns. Make sure there is enough ventilation in the room, smoke and carbon moxide inhalation are harmful and dangerous. Carbon Monoxide detectors are cheaply available at hardware stores and Fire Suppression suppliers.
• Only burn wood and coal or anthracite, not garbage. Burning garbage is dangerous as it can burn out of control and the fumes which are released are extremely toxic. There is firewood for sale and deliverable all around Johannesburg, putting yourself in danger is unnecessary.

   

How to stop a fire from smoking too much?

Why do fires smoke? We sometimes hear people say: "the wood is smoking too much." A fire smokes because the temperature of the fuel is too low. Basically the fire is too cold. This may sound strange but consider that when you throw a piece of firewood on a hot fire it catches alight almost immediately and does not smoke, while when you put a firelighter under a big log it smokes a lot.

How to stop a fire from smoking too much? Now that you understand why a fire smokes, then you need to know how to get the temperature of the fire higher. This requires experience but these are the common techniques:

1. Use more kindling. We supply kindling with all our deliveries. Kindling catches fire quickly and will quickly raise the temperature of the fire. Note that a kindling fire does not last long, it burns bright but only for a few minutes.
2. Fan the flames. Fanning flames will increase the flow of oxygen to the flame, which will increase the rate of burning and thus the temperature of the fire. Be careful not to fan too much, otherwise you may extinguish a new fire or start of overcool the fire.
3. Use smaller pieces of firewood. Large pieces of firewood will only ignite when the temperature is high, whereas small pieces will light even with a low fire temperature.
4. Use flat pieces of wood to reflect heat radiation back into the fire. You can bounce radiant heat back into the fire which will increase the temperature of the fire and reduce the firewood from smoking. Place the flat edges of wood so that the flat side is perpendicular to the radius from the fire to the piece of wood (flat side inwards).

updated on 9 March 2022