How to light a campfire

Are you going on a trip and want to light a campfire? Check out these handy tips for making a fire.

Want to succeed at building a campfire? It's a good idea to download and print these instructions in case you don't have an internet connection while out in the wilderness. With these tips, you'll quickly be able to build a good fire for light, warmth, and cooking.

You will need these

  • Tinder (bark/tar or fire starter)

  • Kindling and firewood

  • Matches (long or short)

  • Knife/camping axe

  • A bucket of water

download printable card
A person using a knife to carve or scrape a piece of wood over a black surface.
Person crouching near a campfire with rocks and sticks in an outdoor setting.

Here's what to do

A bundle of wooden sticks tied together with a string.

1. Use tar/pine needles or kindling as fuel. Gather/chop small pieces of kindling (approx. 15 cm). Place a handful of tar/pine needles at the bottom of the fire pit and stack the kindling on top (or place kindling among the wood).

Illustration of a campfire with wooden logs and a hand tending to it with a matchstick.

2. Strike a match and light the kindling/fire starter. The fire will start better if you light the kindling in several places. If the sticks are slow to ignite, add more tar/pine needles or kindling. Once the kindling is burning well, gradually add larger pieces of kindling and finally some proper firewood.

A stack of cut logs with a small cartoon dinosaur peeking out from behind.

3. Firewood can be arranged around kindling in a teepee-shaped pile, with the logs leaning against each other at their tips, or stacked in a crisscross pattern like a log cabin. A crisscross fire is better suited for cooking, while a teepee fire is good for heating and creating atmosphere.


Campfire burning with logs and rocks around it outdoors.

Remember:

You can only make a campfire in places where it's allowed. You can't have an open fire during a forest fire warning or in windy weather. Build your campfire on gravel or sandy ground. Gather stones and gravel to form the base of the campfire and use larger stones to form a circle around it. Campfires are not permitted on rocks or on top of peat or moss. Do not build open fires near trees, stumps, or dry grass.