HOW TO BUILD A ‘FIRE’ in the backwoods
- COLLECT & GRADE THE FIREWOOD INTO:
TINDER – BALL OF VERY FINE WOOD SHAVINGS OR TINY BITS OF TWIGS
KINDLING – SMALL TWIGS, THE SIZE OF A PENCIL OR SMALLER
SMALL FUEL – STICKS, THE SIZE OF A FINGER
MAIN FUEL – LARGE STICKS, BIGGER THAN THE SIZE OF A FINGER
LARGE LOGS – THICK LOGS, THE SIZE OF THE WRIST
- REMOVE THE TURF OR THE TOP SOIL OF THE GROUND, AND LAY ASIDE CAREFULLY
- IF SOIL IS WET, PLACE A ROW OF SMALL LOGS / STICKS, ON WHICH TO BUILD THE FIRE
- CLEAR THE SURROUNDING AREA SO THAT FIRE WILL NOT ACCIDENTALLY SPREAD
- HAVE A BUCKET OF WATER / SAND, AT HAND, TO USE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE IN AN EMERGENCY
- PLACE THREE STONES / ROCKS / LOGS, EQUAL DISTANCE APART, TO MATCH THE SIZE OF THE
COOKING PAN, AS THE BASE OF THE HEARTH
- PLACE THE BALL OF TINDER AT THE CENTRE OF THE STONES, AND LEAN THE KINDLING ON THE
TINDER, WITH A SMALL OPENING TO LIGHT THE FIRE
- PUT FIRE TO THE TINDER AND FAN SLOWLY UNTIL THE KINDLING ALSO CATCH FIRE
- BUILD THE FIRE PROGRESSIVELY, WITH SMALL FUEL, MAIN FUEL & LARGE LOGS
- PLACE THE PAN ON THE STONES, FOR COOKING
- ONCE COOKING IS OVER, CAREFULLY REMOVE THE SMALL FUEL, MAIN FUEL & LARGE LOGS
FROM THE HEARTH AND KEEP ASIDE. POUR WATER TO THE BURNING PARTS OF THE FUEL
TAKING CARE NOT TO DAMPEN THE DRY PARTS OF THE FUEL
- POUR WATER TO THE HEARTH ITSELF TO COMPLETELY PUT OUT THE FIRE.
- REMOVE STONES / ROCKS / LOGS AND KEEP IN A SAFE PLACE. REMOVE THE WET EMBERS
OF THE HEARTH CAREFULLY FOR DISPOSAL
- REPLACE THE TURF OR THE TOP SOIL, TO COVER THE PLACE WHERE THE HEARTH WAS MADE
TO MAKE THE PLACE AS NATURAL AS BEFORE
- KEEP THE REMAINDER OF THE FUEL COVERED IN A DRY PLACE FOR FUTURE USE
Compiled by Air Vice Marshal Mohan de Zoysa