FIRE BUILDING STRUCTURES

Teepee fire

Takes some patience to construct. First, the tinder is piled up in a compact heap. The smaller kindling is arranged around it, like the poles of a Teepee. For added strength, it may be possible to lash some of the sticks together. A tripod lashing is quite difficult to execute with small sticks, so a clove hitch should suffice. (Synthetic rope should be avoided, since it produces pollutants when it burns.) Then the larger separate kindling is arranged above the smaller kindling, taking care not to collapse the Teepee. A separate Teepee as a shell around the first one may work better. Teepee fires are excellent for producing heat to keep people warm. The gases from the bottom quickly come to the top as you add more sticks. However, one downside to a Teepee fire is that when it burns, the logs become unstable and can fall over. This is especially concerning with a large fire.

Log Cabin Fire


Begins with a tinder pile. The kindling is then stacked around it, as in the construction of a log cabin. The first two kindling sticks are laid parallel to each other, on opposite sides of the tinder pile. The second pair is laid on top of the first, at right angles to it, and also on opposite sides of the tinder. More kindling is added in the same manner. The smallest kindling is placed over the top of the assembly. Of all the fire-builds, the log cabin is the least vulnerable to premature collapse, but it is also inefficient, because it makes the worst use of convection to ignite progressively larger pieces of fuel. However, these qualities make the log cabin an ideal cooking fire as it burns for a long period of time and can support cookware.

 A variation on the log cabin starts with two pieces of fuel wood with a pile of tinder between them, and small kindling laid over the tops of the logs, above the tinder. The tinder is lit, and the kindling is allowed to catch fire. When it is burning briskly, it is broken and pushed down into the consumed tinder, and the larger kindling is placed over the top of the logs. When that is burning well, it is also pushed down. Eventually, a pile of kindling burns between two pieces of fuel wood, and soon the logs catch fire from it.

 Another variation is called the funeral pyre method because it is used for building funeral pyres. Its main difference from the standard log cabin is that it starts with thin pieces and moves up to thick pieces. If built on a large scale, this type of fire-build collapses in a controlled manner without restricting the air flow.

Hybrid Fire


A hybrid fire combines the elements of both the tipi and the log cabin creating an easily lit yet stable fire structure. The hybrid is made by first erecting a small tipi and then proceeding to construct a log cabin around it. This fire structure combines benefits of both fire types: the tipi allows the fire to ignite easily and the log cabin sustains the fire for a long time.

Lean-To Fire


Starts with the same pile of tinder as the teepee fire-build. Then, a long, thick piece of kindling is driven into the ground at an angle, so that it overhangs the tinder pile. The smaller pieces of kindling are leaned against the big stick so that the tinder is enclosed between them.


Pyramid Fire

The reasoning for this method are twofold. First, the layers of fuel wood take in the heat from the initial tinder/kindling therefore it is not lost to the surrounding ground. In effect, the fire is "off the ground", and burns its way down through its course. And secondly, this fire type requires minimal labor, thereby making it ideal as a fire of choice before bedding down for the evening without having to get up periodically to add fuel wood and/or stoke the fire to keep it going. Start by adding the largest fuel wood in a parallel "layer", then continue to add increasingly smaller and smaller fuel wood layers perpendicularly to the last layer. Once enough wood is piled, there should be a decent "platform" to make the teepee[tinder/kindling] to initiate the fire.


Cross-Ditch Fire

This method, scratch a cross about 30cm in size in the ground. Dig the cross 7.5cm  deep. Put a large wad of tinder in the middle of the cross. Build a kindling pyramid above the tinder. The shallow ditch allows air to sweep under the tinder to provide a draft.


The traditional Finnish rakovalkea

(literally "slit bonfire"), or "Nying" in Scandinavian languages, also called by English terms long log fire or gap fire, is constructed by placing one long and thick piece of fuel wood (log) atop another, parallel, and bolstering them in place with four sturdy posts driven into the ground. (Traditionally, whole un-split tree trunks provide the fuel wood.) Kindling and tinder are placed between the logs in sufficient quantity (while avoiding the very ends) to raise the upper log and allow ventilation. The tinder is always lit at the center so the bolstering posts near the ends do not burn prematurely. The rakovalkea has two excellent features. First, it burns slowly but steadily when lit; it does not require arduous maintenance, but burns for a very long time. A well constructed rakovalkea of two thick logs of two meters in length can warm two lean-to shelters for a whole sleeping shift. The construction causes the logs themselves to protect the fire from the wind. Thus, exposure to smoke is unlikely for the sleepers; nevertheless someone should always watch in case of an emergency. Second, it can be easily scaled to larger sizes (for a feast) limited only by the length of available tree trunks. The arrangement is also useful as beacon fire i.e. a temporary light signal for ships far in the sea.

Keyhole Fire

Made in a keyhole-shaped fire ring, and is used in cooking. The large round area is used to build a fire to create coals. As coals develop, they are scraped into the rectangular area used for cooking.

Star Fire

A Star Fire, or Indian Fire, is the fire design often depicted as the campfire of the old West. Someone lays six or more logs out like the spokes of a wheel (star shaped). They start the fire at the "hub," and push each log towards the center as the flames consume the ends. Method:
  1. Build a small ditch, about five inches across and about an inch deep.
  2. Set up five to seven pieces of wood about the size of a forearms in a star around the ditch, with a bit of the end sticking in over the edge.
  3. Line the inside of the ditch and a few inches inside the pieces of fuel wood with kindling. Have more kindling set aside for later use.
  4. Set up a tinder nest on top of the kindling in the ditch.
  5. Surround the tinder with more kindling—the more the better, but not enough to restrict air flow, and leaving access to light the tinder.
  6. Light the tinder with a match or other source
  7. Blow gently yet firmly until the fire lights. Add kindling as needed until the ends of the fuel ignites.
  8. As the fuel slowly burns, push in the logs by the ends to keep the fire burning. When the fuel runs short, add more fuel wood. This fire is ideal for calm conditions and can be kept burning all night with little maintenance. The fire can be controlled easily, and is a great cooking fire because it is so predictable.

Dakota Smokeless Fire Pit

A tactical fire used by the United States military as the flame produces a low light signature, reduced smoke, and is easier to ignite under strong wind conditions.As depicted in the illustration, two small holes are dug in the ground: one vertical for the firewood and the other slanted to the bottom of the first hole to provide a draft of air for near complete combustion. Optional are flat stones to partially cover the first hole and provide support for cookery, and a tree over the pits to disperse the smoke.

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