One of the great memories from my youth is having a back garden campfire with a large group of friends. The fire burned and crackled into the early hours and we sang along to Queen’s entire ‘It’s a Kind of Magic’ album.  We didn’t cook much but a lot of singing took place.

The best campfires live long in the imagination and are a great way to create magical moments for our kids (now that our own partying days may be somewhat diminished.)

How to light a fire

Fire lighting is simple in itself but even the most experienced of us struggle at times. There are a zillion tutorials online so here’s my simple version and then it’s over to you – the best way to learn is to practice.

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Even a fairy fire must be laid correctly..

You will need: –

HEAT
Matches or a fire lighter/flint of some kind

OXYGEN
Fresh air!

FUEL
Kindling – small, dry twigs, sticks or other easily flammable material
Starter wood – medium sized sticks that will catch easily from the kindling
Logs/larger wood – big pieces that will burn long and hot to keep the fire going

men-woman-and-girl-sorting-sticks-for-campfire-in-sand

Sizing the wood

Tipi, log cabin or platform style fire?

There are many ways to lay the wood for a fire (which I won’t go into here) whether it’s in a grate indoors or outside on the ground or in a firepit or a washing machine drum – learn how to make one here; make a firepit from a washing machine drum.

My best advice is to practice different ways and see which works best for you. The below tips will make for easy firelighting ,whichever style of fire you choose to build.

What to do

  • Place kindling at the bottom. It ignites quickly and easily but burns out fast
  • Stack starter wood over the kindling. It needs to be small and dry to catch quickly. Stack to allow air to the flames. This can be in a tipi shape, a criss-cross log cabin shape or as a platform. Experiment and use your favourite.
  • Place larger logs around the edge to add once the starter wood is burning, allowing them to dry beforehand. They should catch and burn slowly, keeping the fire alight
  • Light the kindling. You may need a fire starter to help the kindling catch. You can buy these but they give a chemical taste if used for cooking and give off smelly fumes. The best way is to make your own (see below).
girl-blowing-flames-on-fire-in-back-garden-with-cookpot-on-sticks
Caroline helping the fire, Courtesy Cool of the Wild

Why not try a nighttime campfire in the snow?! Read snow fires and night sledging to get inspired.

⚠️ Wildfire warning ⚠️

After the UK’s 2026 national emergency phone warning for wildfires, here are some top safety tips for lighting outdoor fires at any time of year but especially in drought and heatwave conditions.

Outdoor fire safety

1. NEVER light a fire, BBQ or cooking stove in the open during drought or heatwave conditions*.

2. ALWAYS have a bucket of water or sand close by for dousing fire (and for immediately cooling accidental burns before seeking medical help).

3. DON’T DELAY – dial 999 the moment a fire breaks out.

4. DON’T LITTER – take home or bin/recycle ALL litter including paper, card, metal and especially glass objects that can start a fire in extreme heat and drought conditions.
Allow disposable BBQs/ashes to cool before disposing in a suitable bin.

* If in doubt call the local fire and rescue service BEFOREHAND to check seasonal and local guidelines.
Search ‘Contact my local fire officer ‘ online to find the fire and rescue service nearest to where you are.

NEVER use petrol or paraffin accelerants

At all times of year follow these simple rules:

Always have a BUCKET OF WATER close by for dousing the fire and for immediately cooling burns (silicone bucket link)

Outdoor fire location

Never place a disposable BBQ directly on the ground/grass etc. ALWAYS place on a fireproof base. Preferably never  use disposable BBQSs

Set up well away from dry grass, shrubs, trees, crops, tents, hedges, fences or undergrowth etc to avoid sparks, embers or flying ash sparking wildfire.

Consider the same even for BBQs, fire pits on stands and washing machine drum fires.

Always locate garden bonfires or campfires on a cleared area of soil rather than grass, and a safe distance from trees, shrubs, fences, sheds, compost heaps etc.

Cool down the burning area after any campfire or BBQ, especially on sand at the beach – rake over ashes until cool, take cooled ashes away to dispose of elsewhere

Fire starters

For some ingenious ideas on making natural and recycled fire lighters check out Cool of the Wild‘s excellent post homemade firestarters. My favourite, below, uses tumble dryer lint, egg boxes and melted wax crayons.

lint-wax-and-egg-carton-fire-starter
Courtesy Cool of the Wild

No matches?

To try firelighting without any matches, as in the recent Swallows And Amazons DVD, check out this article by the excellent Family Adventure Project.

More reading

My own post on survival techniques for kids shows how to create kindling embers using sticks. Keeps the kids entertained on any campfire adventure.

For more campfire information see also ritual Christmas tree burning, how to make a firepit and garden cookfires.

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Wild wishes for a lifetime of flaming fire lighting! Have a great time and STAY SAFE.

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