Heat & fire · Anytime
Building a Fire in the Lodge
The V. Gilbert Beers way to build a fire in the Lodge fireplace. Trust him, it works. The key trick is warming the flue first so smoke goes up the chimney instead of into the room.
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You'll need
- Logs from the Lodge room porch
- Newspaper
- Fatwood (sold at Charlie John's)
- The torch or a lighter
- A glove
Step by step
8 steps
Open the flue
This is really important. Reach up and open the flue before anything else.
Bigger log in front, smaller log in back
Lay a slightly bigger log in front and a slightly smaller one in back, so the wood you add tilts toward the back instead of rolling out.
Crumpled newspaper on top of the grate
Put crumpled newspaper between the two logs, on top of the grate rather than under it. One sheet underneath can help get things started.
Add 6–7 pieces of fatwood
Lay fatwood between the two logs. Three to seven pieces is plenty.
Add 1–2 more logs diagonally on top
Lean a couple of logs at an angle across the first two, then one more on top.
Warm the flue with lit newspaper
On a cold day, cold air sinks down the chimney and pushes smoke into the Lodge. Light a twist of newspaper with the torch and hold it up toward the flue until you see the flames pulling straight up. Wear a glove, or have someone older do this part.
Light the newspaper under the logs
Drop the burning paper in and light the newspaper under the logs. You'll see the smoke go up the flue. Keep the torch on it until you have a good flame.
Wait for crackle and pop, then let the embers build
When it crackles and pops, the wood is hot enough. Once there's a bed of hot embers underneath, the fire won't die down into half-burnt logs. Turn off the torch.
Be careful
- Always put the screen in front of the fire. There's about a two-inch gap at the side right now, and sparks can land on the carpet, so check on the fire every so often.
Tips
- Fatwood isn't required, but it makes starting faster because it burns longer.
- The wood for this fireplace is on the porch right outside the Lodge room.
