May 25th, 2010 by 
Evelyn Roberson
Why reserve a roaring fire for a camp-out? Families and friends can gather to enjoy any night of the week. Here are a few tips for building a fire in an outdoor fire pit.
Before you get your fire going here’s a few items to gather:
- tinder
- kindling
- wood
- matches
First step is to pick a location for your fire. Whether in the backyard or campsite, location is key. My local code calls for fire pits to be fifty feet from structures. Pick a spot that’s away from trees or flammable brush as well. Natural surroundings may be lush in the spring but summer drought may dry out grass or plantings around the firepit.
Tinder should be natural material that will burn easily when lit. Small twigs, dried brush or newspaper will work well. You will need a dozen or so sheets of newspaper, crumple each up like a tennis ball. Next, wood can be placed on top inside home fire pits. Make sure the kindling and tinder have enough space for air flow and are not smashed. Properly aged wood will light most effectively. Light it four sides and as the tinder ignites blow air into the fire allowing it to burn hot enough for the kindling to catch. This is a fun step to get age appropriate children involved around outdoor fire pits. Think about how much they love to blow out birthday candles. Once the wood ignites you only have to occasionally add wood to keep the fire going.
Now sit back and relax. You’ll be eating s’mores and telling stories around the fire pit before you know it.
