Starting a Fire in a Wood Burning Fireplace Insert

Running a fireplace in your home provides heat in the winter and a welcoming gathering place for friends and family. Starting a fire isn't as simple as lighting a match and throwing it on a log. Fire needs air circulation to grow, so trying to light large logs in a small insert will only result in frustration. The best wood burning fires start as sparks on newspapers and kindling and spread to the logs until a roaring fire begins.

Wood logs
Newspaper
Kindling pieces
Matches or lighter

Instructions

- 1
  Lay two logs down in the fireplace insert. If possible, do not elevate the fire, as this can lead to dangerous collapsing later. Leave a few inches between the logs.
- 2
  Fill the space between the logs with crumpled or twisted newspaper. Do not use colored paper or paper with unknown materials, as this can lead to serious fire hazards.
- 3
  Lay thin pieces of kindling (1 inch wide) across the newspaper pieces. Connect these with slightly larger kindling pieces laid across the logs themselves, so that all of the kindling is touching.
- 4
  Ignite the newspaper with matches or a lighter. Close the doors of the insert, leaving the vent, stovepipe or other air control piece open to allow for air circulation. If you are unsure about how to vent your insert, consult your user's manual.
- 5
  Observe as the kindling lights; the fire on the kindling should spread to the logs. If the fire is not spreading, carefully add larger kindling or smaller logs to try to gradually spread the fire.
- 6
  Add more logs as necessary as the fire burns.

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