Fireplace Showcase Presents: The One Match Fire Starter

30 November 2010      

It does not require the skill of an Eagle Scout to make a good fire in your fireplace. You just have to use a tried and trusted fire-starting method and what better way than to use an easy one step method using fatwood?

Before you start your fire crumble two or three sheets of paper such as yesterday’s newspaper. Avoid burning plastics or paper with color printing (such as the Sunday comics, magazines, or gift wrapping paper) as they give off toxic fumes. Put the crumbled paper on your fireplace grate. The grate elevates your fire, allowing it to pull in plenty of air to keep a good draft going up the chimney.

On top of the crumbled paper place a couple of sticks of fatwood, a natural fire starter. Fatwood comes from the stumps of pine trees, the section of the trees that naturally collects the highly combustible resinous sap or pitch. It is a sap soaked southern yellow pine natural fire starter. Purchased in easy-to-use sticks about 8 inches long, fatwood is known as nature's one-match fire starter.

When using fatwood as your fire starter, add 3 pieces of split, dried firewood on top of the fatwood. This will ensure that the fire will start and heat the right way, and will help to avoid any smoke coming into the room. As the fire burns, use the tongs from your fireplace tool set to add more split firewood as needed. Place a fireplace screen in front of the fire to protect your home and loved ones. Now, sit back and enjoy your fireplace fire! If you have any questions about fatwood or any fireplace needs feel free to contact us and we’ll be happy to help.