Lighting a Fire in the Fireplace 101

As the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, you appreciate the warmth and light from your fireplace, making being indoors a little more cozy.

And this just doesn’t suffice:

(it’s a 2 hour video of a fire in a fireplace)

Whether you are more of a summer person, longing for the warmer weather to come back or a winter lover, longing for sledding and outdoor activities in the snow, chances are you get a little excited about building your first fire of the season in your fireplace.

However, if you are new to the cold Midwest or you need a little refreshing on how to light a fire, or you just want to hone your fire burning skills, we’ve compiled a few resources to help you make productive, safe, and warm fires this winter.

Our friends over at the CSIA came up with this video about lighting small pieces of wood and some fireplace safety. Very helpful tips:

Collect Newspaper, Kindling and Good Seasoned Wood

Create an Adequate Draft

Build a Fuel Pile

Light the Kindling

Enjoy! Bring on the hot chocolate.

And remember, don’t burn unseasoned wood.