How To Start A Fire Fast Even If All The Wood You Have Is Wet

Lighting a fire can be difficult if you do not have plenty of dry material to get it started. But there is a safe way to quickly and easily get a fire going even when all your wood is wet. Knowing how to do this could save your life in a survival situation.

As a young kid I used to spend a lot of time with my grandfather who used to take me fishing and camping in some very remote places. One of the things he taught me was how to start a fire quickly in an emergency situation. He taught me to always carry a road flare in my backpack when hiking or away from civilization so I could start a fire if I got lost or into trouble, especially in cold weather.

Road flares are cheap and easy to pack. They light by striking them with a match and you will have a hot flame for 10 or 15 minutes or more, depending on the length of the flare. Once it is lit you can start piling small pieces of dead wood around and in the flame. Even if the wood is wet, the flare will burn long enough to dry the wood and get it burning.

If the wood is dry you can just pile on as much wood as you want and you can quickly have a fire as big as you want it to be. If the wood is wet you will have to be more careful and make sure you get a good hot core of burning wood before the flare burns out. Just make sure you have plenty of wood positioned to catch and hold a fire around the flame form the flare. Be careful to position it so it can get plenty of oxygen.

Using a flare should only be for starting outdoor fires, not for an indoor fireplace or wood stove. This technique is good for survival situations, starting campfires and other outdoor fires. Wet wood should not be used unless it is all you have available. Before you get into a survival situation it is a good idea to practice starting fires this way so you will already know what to do when you really need it.

Learn more about burning firewood.