How to Start a Fire in a Fireplace without Kindling

If you are trying to start a fire in a fireplace without kindling, there are a few things you need to know. What’s the easiest way to get that fire started? By starting a fire without kindling, you will be able to add warmth and coziness to your home. Don’t let a shortage on kindling deter you from building a nice, warm fire that burns for hours providing you with both warmth and a means to cook meals if you are camping.

You will need a few things if you don’t have to start a fire without kindling:

• Wood – you still need something to burn
• Newspapers or other papers
• Light source (match, lighter, etc.)
• Fire starter (optional)

Step 1: Build the Fire

Using as small of logs as you can, build your fire by putting down some newspaper or a fire starter (if you have one) and then placing the smallest wood you have on top of the newspaper. The goal is to find something highly flammable to replace the kindling, whether it is newspaper, paper towels or even something like pine cones. Put that on the bottom with wood on top of it.

Step 2: Light the Fire

At some point, you have to try to get the fire lit. Using matches or a lighter, light the fire starter or newspapers that you have used as your base. It’s ok to light the fire in a few different places, as surely one of them will catch the wood on fire and help the fire continue to burn. Light different ends of the newspaper or fire starters and watch as they burn towards the middle catching the wood on top on fire.

Step 3: Give the Fire Air

Make sure you have the right conditions for your fire, and make sure air can circulate to help it breathe. A fire needs to have the right amount of air circulating to give it fuel and help the wood catch fire from the newspaper or other fire starter you use. You might need to blow on the fire, or using bellows you can lightly blow air to help get the coals and ashes in the right places to burn the wood.

Step 4: Keep it burning with Wood

Now that I’s lit and burning, just make sure you keep the fire fed with wood. The fire will burn as long as it as a source to fuel it. Since you don’t have kindling and restarting it might be a chore, make sure you keep it fed with wood for as long as you want the fire burning.

FAQ

Do you need to have a fire starter?

Ideally you will have something to replace the kindling, whether it be a waxy fire starter or some newspaper. You need something that is easy to light to get some coals burning that can then catch the wood on fire.

Will lighter fluid help start a fire without kindling?

Lighter fluid can help get your fire starter. Just a little squirt of fluid could help a bigger piece of wood start burning that otherwise would have needed kindling to help it along.

Can you rub two sticks together to start a fire?

Yes and no. Rubbing sticks together can give you a spark, essentially letting them serve as the match or the source of fire, but you still need to have something for them to light. You can rub sticks together, but make sure you still have some newspaper or paper under the sticks.

Conclusion

Whether you are on a camping trip and want to make s’mores, or you are looking to make a fire in your fireplace at home, it’s always good to be able to make fire even if you don’t have kindling to jumpstart you. Learning to build a fire is a survival instinct that everyone should learn! A fire can be a source of warmth and a way to cook a meal when you are camping. If this article helped you start a nice fire, leave us a comment and tell us all about it, and be sure to share this article with your friends!