Tips on how to light a log fire

We love the cool winters in Orange. They are one of the reasons Orange is such a great place to grow our cider apples.

It does get chilly for us humans though and there’s nothing more captivating than a real fire burning on a cool night.  The cottage is equipped with a reverse-cycle air conditioner in the living area and standing heaters in each of the bedrooms but a log fire in the wood-burning stove in Small Acres Cottage is a lovely way to enhance your stay with us. We provide the materials to make a fire or two but the skills are up to you!

However if it’s your first time making a fire or you are struggling here’s a few tips to make lighting a fire a little easier:

Materials You'll Need:

• Firelighters: These are specially designed to ignite easily and burn long enough to catch your kindling.
• Kindling: Small, dry pieces of wood that catch fire quickly from the firelighters and create the heat you will need to get your logs burning.
• Chopped Hardwood Logs: Varying sizes, from small to larger pieces. Hardwood takes longer to light but burns longer and hotter.
• Axe (optional but useful): For splitting larger logs into smaller, more manageable pieces if needed. There’s an axe and chopping block outside under the carport.
• Matches or Lighter: To ignite the firelighters.
• Gloves (optional): To keep your hands clean and avoid splinters.

The "Teepee" Method (Classic and Effective)

1. Prepare Your Stove: Ensure the wood stove is clean. Open the air vents (dampers) on your stove fully to allow maximum airflow.
2. Create a Small Base: Start with a few pieces of kindling laid loosely on your stove's grate or a piece of newspaper if you have it to form a small, airy base.
3. Add Firelighters: Place 1-2 firelighters in the center of your kindling base.
4. Build the Teepee: Lean kindling pieces against each other over the firelighters, forming a small teepee shape. Ensure there's enough space for air to reach the firelighters.
5. Add Smaller Logs: Gradually add smaller hardwood logs around the kindling teepee, leaning them against each other to maintain the teepee shape. As the fire grows, you can carefully add larger logs.
6. Ignite! Light the firelighters. The flames will ignite the kindling, which will then ignite the surrounding logs. Close the stove door, but ensure air vents remain open until the fire is well-established.

Tips for Success in a Wood Stove:

• Dry Materials are Key: Always use dry wood. Wet wood produces a lot of smoke, is difficult to light, and doesn't burn efficiently. It can also lead to creosote buildup in your chimney, a fire hazard.
• Open Air Vents: Always start with your air vents (dampers) fully open. This provides the oxygen needed for the fire to ignite and get established. Once the fire is burning strongly, you can gradually adjust the vents to control the burn rate and heat output.
• Don't Overload: Start small and add more wood as the fire establishes itself. Too much wood at once can smother the flames.
• Monitor the Chimney: Keep an eye on the smoke coming from your chimney. Ideally, you want to see very little, almost invisible, smoke, indicating an efficient burn. Thick, dark smoke means your fire isn't burning cleanly.
• Be Patient: Sometimes it takes a few minutes for the fire to really take hold. Don't be tempted to add more firelighters too quickly.
• Safety First: Always have a fire extinguisher or a bucket of water nearby. Never leave a burning fire unattended.

Need more logs? If you’ve got through the logs we provide, service stations in Orange sell bags of wood which are convenient and possibly easier to light than our hardwood logs. Need more kindling? The Servos sell these too but the gum trees behind the cottage are surrounded by fallen sticks which burn easily. 

With a little practice, you'll be a fire-lighting pro in no time, enjoying the warmth and glow of your own hand-built blaze from the wood stove.