All wonderful tales and memories are only made better when relived in front of a wonderful glowing open fire
. There is nothing quite like the spectacle, noise and smell of the wonderful natural fuel as it glows and gives off its wonderful heat. Lighting a fire can sometimes be a hit and miss matter though. However, there are somethings you can do to make sure it is an easy procedure every time.
These are straightforward measures that can make the whole experience a lot less frustrating and more satisfying for those concerned. The target is to get the ideal romantic fire, not a room full of smoke and pandemonium.
Keeping your chimney clean is a must. Keep it swept every year. A blocked flue can be a real health hazard and can even lead to a fire in your home, and no one wants that! Ensure that you have the draft flap or damper open before you start. Particular fireplaces have a handle to control the mechanism, but you must also make a visual check to see that it is functioning. Obviously you want to do this before you light the fire, or you will end up with an uncontrollable fire and a very smokey room.
Your fireplace may have doors, if this is the case then ensure that you open them well in advance to balance the temperatures between the fireplace and the room. You want to make sure that the warm air is flowing up the chimney rather than cold air being forced down it.
Now you should check the airflow up the chimney. There are a a small number of ways of doing this, but in most cases a little smoke from a candle or match will do the job. You should see the smoke being drawn up the flue. If it is not being drawn upwards then recheck that you have opened the flap correctly. If you can't get the smoke to get drawn up then the chimney may be blocked. Do not carry on until you have had it checked and swept as it could be a hazard.
At this time you are ready to construct the fire. You will need some old dry newspaper and some kindling wood for this. Make a little stack with the newspaper in the center. Check that it is stacked safely and that there is no danger of it falling out of the grate when lit. Also make sure that it is not so tightly packed that it reduces airflow through the fire.
At this point you can light the newspaper. As long as there is sufficient airflow this should cause the kindling to take light. If you have a little fire going now then you can begin to add larger logs or newspaper briquettes.
You should now have a fire fit for a king. When you are ready to leave the room you should break down the fire up gently with a poker. As soon as it is spread out and there is no fresh fuel to burn it should start to gradually die out. As soon as it is out totally you can shut the draft flap to keep the warmth in the home.