ART OF SURVIVAL #2:BUILDING FIRES

COMPILED FROM VARIOUS INTERNET SOURCES:


PRECAUTIONS:
Before starting a fire, make sure you follow certain safety rules. Firstly, never throw gasoline or other combustible fluids on a fire. The fire can blow outwards, burning skin and catching clothes on fire. Secondly, clear a space of about six feet, all the way around the intended fire spot to prevent the fire, once it’s started, from traveling. If it’s a grassy area, remove the grass and build the fire on the dirt. And be sure to completely extinguish any fire or hot coals before abandoning the area.


BUILDING A FIRE:

There are three things to laying a fire:
1]tinder
2]kindling wood
3]fuel wood


TINDER:Tinder is dry material that ignites with little heat—a spark starts a fire. The tinder must be absolutely dry to be sure just a spark will ignite it. If you only have a device that generates sparks, charred cloth will be almost essential. It holds a spark for long periods, allowing you to put tinder on the hot area to generate a small flame. You can make charred cloth by heating cotton cloth until it turns black, but does not burn. Once it is black, you must keep it in an airtight container to keep it dry.

BASIC VARIOUS ARRANGEMENTS FOR LAYING A FIRE WITH KINDLEWOOD:






Tepee
To make this fire arrange the tinder and a few sticks of kindling in the shape of a tepee or cone. Light the center. As the tepee burns, the outside logs will fall inward, feeding the fire. This type of fire burns well even with wet wood.


Lean-To
To lay this fire push a green stick into the ground at a 30-degree angle. Point the end of the stick in the direction of the wind. Place some tinder deep under this lean-to stick. Lean pieces of kindling against the lean-to stick. Light the tinder. As the kindling catches fire from the tinder, add more kindling.


Cross-Ditch
To use this method scratch a cross about 30 centimeters in size in the ground. Dig the cross 7.5 centimeters 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.


Pyramid
To lay this fire place two small logs or branches parallel on the ground. Place a solid layer of small logs across the parallel logs. Add three or four more layers of logs or branches, each layer smaller than and at a right angle to the layer below it. Make a starter fire on top of the pyramid. As the starter fire burns, it will ignite the logs below it. This gives you a fire that burns downward, requiring no attention during the night. There are several other ways to lay a fire that are quite effective. Your situation and the material available in the area may make another method more suitable.


STRIKE IT UP

1. Waterproof, strike-anywhere matches are your best bet. Matches may be water-proofed by dipping them in nail polish. Store your matches in a waterproof container.(Never tried it personally)

2. A cigarette lighter is also a good way to produce a spark, with or without fuel.

3. The electric spark produced from a battery will ignite a gasoline dampened rag.

4. Allow the suns rays to pass through a magnifying glass onto the tinder.

5. Flint way.Be carefuly not to injure yourself using this primative method

EXTINGUISH A FIRE

Always extinguish a fire before you leave a campsite.You can use liberal doses of water available or anything else for that matter