‘Guide to fire making’ is a great skill to learn, as it will help you achieve a number of activities. This guide is to help you make and manage your fire safely. Also by creating and managing your fire with good practise, you are showing your group how it is supposed to be performed safely.

Clearing your area

Make sure you have a clear surface when preparing your fire. This reduces the risk of setting fire to other parts of a woodland.

Collecting wood

It is important to have enough wood to start and keep the fire fed. New and green wood does not burn as well as dry sticks. The sizes of sticks need to range from your index finger down to a drinking straw.

Fire square

The square alerts people to the possibility that contents within it maybe hot. The square should consist of four pieces of wood, which are the size of your forearm or slightly smaller.

Building a fire: 1

Lay a bed of finger-sized sticks as your base. Then place a bed of cotton wool with a trail leading out, which acts as a fuse.

Building a fire: 2

To build upwards, arrange each new layer of sticks at 90 degree to the previous layer, with larger sticks at each end of the layer. Ensure that the thinner sticks are laid immediately above the layer of cotton wool. Repeat until the stack is about three or four levels high.

Building a fire: 3

Light cotton wool and once the fire is burning on its own, use your ‘FEEDER GLOVE’ (gauntlet) to continue managing the fire. If you disturb the stack when lighting the cotton wool, take the cotton wool away from the stack. Now light the cotton wool and using two small sticks place the burning cotton wool back into the stack.