How to start a fire in the fireplace...

Winter is here again. This means cold, windy and/or rainy days. This also means having to light the fireplace. Now, I like to experiment with different ways of starting the fire. Criteria that I have given myself:

• use only 1 fire starter
• all firewood that I need for the few hours must be in the fireplace. Why? Because I do not like the idea of firewood in the house but not in the fireplace. That gives spiders and borers a chance to enter the house.

So here is 1 method I found to be fulfill those 2 criteria. What you need are:

• 1 piece of non-toxic fire starter made from raw material
  
• 3 pine cones
• 3 kiln dried pine blocks
• 3 pieces of macrocarpa or any well seasoned hardwood

First, place 1 piece of macrocarpa in the center of the fireplace as shown.


Then place the other 2 pieces of macrocarpa on the side, one on either side.


Place pine blocks, pine cones and fire starter as shown below. Ensure that macrocarpa, pine blocks, pine cones and fire starter are in contact with each other, one way or another.


Place the remaining pine blocks on the pine cones:


Light and wait for the warmth. Some times the pine cones may roll off. Therefore, try to place them so that they are "supported".


Depending on the size of the macrocarpa, this configuration would burn for 2-3 hours before I need to go out and collect more seasoned firewood. Keep warm!