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FIRE CRAFT
In many survival situations, the ability to start a fire can
make the difference between living and dying. Fire can fulfill
many needs. It can provide warmth and comfort. It not
only cooks and preserves food, it also provides warmth in
the form of heated food that saves calories our body normally
uses to produce body heat. You can use fire to purify
water, sterilize bandages, signal for rescue, and provide
protection from animals. It can be a psychological boost by
providing peace of mind and companionship. You can also
use fire to produce tools and weapons.
Fire can cause problems, as well. The enemy can detect the
smoke and light it produces. It can cause forest fires or
destroy
essential equipment. Fire can also cause burns
carbon monoxide poisoning when used in shelters.
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and
Remember weigh your need for fire against your need to
avoid enemy detection.
BASIC FIRE PRINCIPLES
To build a fire, it helps to understand the basic principles of
a fire.
Fuel (in a nongaseous state) does not burn directly. When you
apply
heat to a fuel, it produces a gas. This gas, combined with
oxygen in
the air, burns.
Understanding the concept of the fire triangle is very important
in
correctly constructing and maintaining a fire. The three sides
of the
triangle represent air, heat, and fuel. If you remove any of
these, the fire
will go out. The correct ratio of these components is very
important for
a fire to burn at its greatest capability. The only way to learn
this ratio
is to practice.
SITE SELECTION
AND PREPARATION
You will have to decide what site and arrangement to use. Before
building
a fire consider—
The area (terrain and climate) in which you are operating.
The materials and tools available.
Time: how much time you have?
Need: why you need a fire?
Security: how close is the enemy?
Look for a dry spot that—
Is protected from the wind.
Is suitably placed in relation to your shelter (if any).
Will concentrate the heat in the direction you desire.
Has a supply of wood or other fuel available. (See page
6 for
types
of material you can use.)
If you are in a wooded or brush-covered area, clear the brush
and scrape
the surface soil from the spot you have selected. Clear a circle
at least
1 meter in diameter so there is little chance of the fire
spreading.
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If time allows, construct a fire wall using logs or rocks. This
wall will
help to reflector direct the heat where you want it (Figure
l). It
will also reduce flying sparks and cut down on the amount of
wind
blowing into the fire. However, you will need enough wind to
keep
the fire burning.
CAUTION
Do not use wet or porous rocks as they may explode when heated.
In some situations, you may find that an underground fireplace
will best
meet your needs. It conceals the fire and serves well for
cooking food.
To make an underground fireplace or Dakota fire hole (Figure
2)–
Dig a hole in the ground.
On the upwind side of this hole, poke or dig a large connecting
hole
for ventilation.
Build your fire in the hole as illustrated.
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If you are in a snow-covered area, use green logs to make a dry
base for
your fire (Figure
3). Trees with wrist-sized trunks are easily
broken in
extreme cold. Cut or break several green logs and lay them side
by side
on top of the snow. Add one or two more layers. Lay the top
layer of
logs opposite those below it.
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FIRE MATERIAL SELECTION
You need three types of materials (Figure
4) to build a
fire—tinder,
kindling, and fuel.
Tinder is dry material that ignites with little heat —a spark
starts a fire.
The tinder must be absolutely dry to be sure just a spark will
ignite it.
If you only have a device that generates sparks, charred cloth
will be
almost essential. It holds a spark for long periods, allowing
you to put
tinder on the hot area to generate a small flame. You can make
charred
cloth by heating cotton cloth until it turns black, but does not
burn.
Once it is black, you must keep it in an airtight container to
keep it dry.
Prepare this cloth well in advance of any survival situation.
Add it to
your individual survival kit.
Kindling is readily combustible material that you add to the
burning
tinder. Again, this material should be absolutely dry to ensure
rapid
burning. Kindling increases the fire’s temperature so that it
will ignite
less combustible material.
Fuel is less combustible material that burns slowly and steadily
once
ignited.
HOW TO BUILD A FIRE
There are several methods for laying a fire, each of which has
advantages.
The situation you find yourself in will determine which fire to
use.
Tepee
To make this fire (Figure
5), arrange the tinder and a few
sticks of
kindling in the shape of a tepee or cone. Light the center. As
the tepee
burns, the outside logs will fall inward, feeding the fire. This
type of fire
burns well even with wet wood.
Lean-To
To lay this fire (Figure
5), push a green stick into the
ground at a
30-degree angle. Point the end of the stick in the direction of
the wind.
Place some tinder deep under this lean-to stick. Lean pieces of
kindling
against the lean-to stick. Light the tinder. As the kindling
catches fire
from the tinder, add more kindling.
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Cross-Ditch
To use this method (Figure
5), scratch a cross about 30 centimeters in
size in the ground. Dig the cross 7.5 centimeters deep. Put a
large wad
of tinder in the middle of the cross. Build a kindling pyramid
above the
tinder. The shallow ditch allows air to sweep under the tinder
to provide
a draft.
Pyramid
To lay this fire (Figure
5), place two small logs or branches
parallel on
the ground. Place a solid layer of small logs across the
parallel logs. Add
three or four more layers of logs or branches, each layer
smaller than
and at a right angle to the layer below it. Make a starter fire
on top of
the pyramid. As the starter fire burns, it will ignite the logs
below it.
This gives you a fire that burns downward, requiring no
attention during
the night.
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There are several other ways to lay a fire that are quite
effective. Your
situation and the material available in the area may make
another
method more suitable.
HOW TO LIGHT A FIRE
Always light your fire from the upwind side. Make sure to lay
your tinder,
kindling, and fuel so that your fire will burn as long as you
need it.
Igniters provide the initial heat required to start the tinder
burning.
They fall into two categories: modem methods and primitive
methods.
Modern Methods
Modem igniters use modem devices—items we normally think of to
start a fire.
Matches
Make sure these matches are waterproof. Also, store them in a
waterproof
container along with a dependable striker pad.
Convex Lens
Use this method (Figure
6) only on bright, sunny days. The
lens can
come from binoculars, camera, telescopic sights, or magnifying
glasses.
Angle the lens to concentrate the sun’s rays on the tinder. Hold
the lens
over the same spot until the tinder begins to smolder. Gently
blow or
fan the tinder into flame, and apply it to the fire lay.
Metal Match
Place a flat, dry leaf under your tinder with a portion exposed.
Place the
tip of the metal match on the dry leaf, holding the metal match
in one
hand and a knife in the other. Scrape your knife against the
metal match
to produce sparks. The sparks will hit the tinder. When the
tinder starts
to smolder, proceed as above.
Battery
Use a battery to generate a spark. Use of this method depends on
the
type of battery available. Attach a wire to each terminal. Touch
the ends
of the bare wires together next to the tinder so the sparks will
ignite it.
Gunpowder
Often, you will have ammunition with your equipment. If so,
carefully
extract the bullet from the shell casing, and use the gunpowder
as
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tinder. A spark will ignite the powder. Be extremely careful
when
extracting the bullet from the case.
Primitive Methods
Primitive igniters are those attributed to our early ancestors.
Flint and Steel
The direct spark method is the easiest of the primitive methods
to use.
The flint and steel method is the most reliable of the direct
spark methods.
Strike a flint or other hard, sharp-edged rock edge with a piece
of
carbon steel (stainless steel will not produce a good spark).
This method
requires a loose-jointed wrist and practice. When a spark has
caught in
the tinder, blow on it. The spark will spread and burst into
flames.
Fire-Plow
The fire-plow (Figure
7) is a friction method of ignition. You
rub a
hardwood shaft against a softer wood base. To use this method,
cut a
straight groove in the base and plow the blunt tip of the shaft
up and
down the groove. The plowing action of the shaft pushes out
small
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particles of wood fibers. Then, as you apply more pressure on
each
stroke, the friction ignites the wood particles.
Bow and Drill
The technique of starting a fire with a bow and drill (Figure
8) is simple,
but you must exert much effort and be persistent to produce a
fire.
You need the following items to use this method:
Socket. The socket is an easily grasped stone or piece of
hardwood or
bone with a slight depression in one side. Use it to hold the
drill in
place and to apply downward pressure.
Drill. The drill should be a straight, seasoned hardwood stick
about
2 centimeters in diameter and 25 centimeters long. The top end
is
round and the low end blunt (to produce more friction).
Fire board. Its size is up to you. A seasoned softwood board
about
2.5 centimeters thick and 10 centimeters wide is preferable. Cut
a
depression about 2 centimeters from the edge on one side of the
board. On the underside, make a V-shaped cut from the edge of
the board to the depression.
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Bow. The bow is a resilient, green stick about 2.5 centimeters
in
diameter and a string. The type of wood is not important. The
bowstring
can be any type of cordage. You tie the bowstring from one
end of the bow to the other, without any slack.
To use the bow and drill, first prepare the fire lay. Then place
a bundle
of tinder under the V-shaped cut in the fire board. Place one
foot on the
fire board. Loop the bowstring over the drill and place the
drill in the
precut depression on the fire board. Place the socket, held in
one hand,
on the top of the drill to hold it in position. Press down on
the drill and
saw the bow back and forth to twirl the drill (Figure
8). Once
you have
established a smooth motion, apply more downward pressure and
work
the bow faster. This action will grind hot black powder into the
tinder,
causing a spark to catch. Blow on the tinder until it ignites.
Note: Primitive fire-building methods are exhaustive and require
practice to
ensure success.
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Use nonaromatic seasoned hardwood for fuel, if possible.
Collect kindling and tinder along the trail.
Add insect repellent to the tinder.
Keep the firewood dry.
Dry damp firewood near the fire.
Bank the fire to keep the coals alive overnight,
Carry lighted punk, when possible.
Be sure the fire is out before leaving camp.
Do not select wood lying on the ground. It may appear to be dry
but
generally doesn’t provide enough friction.
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