Page 20
Installation and Operation Manual - 2000
ENGLISH
4.5 Lighting Fires
Each person who heats with wood develops their own favorite way to light fires. Whatever
method you choose, your goal should be to get a hot fire burning quickly. A fire that starts fast
produces less smoke and deposits less creosote in the chimney. Here are three popular and
effective ways to start wood fires.
4.5.1 Conventional Fire Starting
The conventional way to build a wood fire is to bunch up 5 to 10
sheets of plain newspaper and place them in the firebox. Next, place
10 or so pieces of fine kindling on the newspaper. This kindling
should be very thin; less than 1" (25 mm). Next, place some larger
kindling pieces on the fine kindling. Open the air control fully and
light the newspaper. If you have a tall, straight venting system you
should be able to close the door immediately and the fire will ignite.
Once the fire has ignited, close the door and leave the air control
fully open. After the kindling fire has mostly burned, you can add
standard firewood pieces until you have a fire of the right size for
the conditions.
DO NOT LEAVE THE STOVE UNATTENDED WHEN THE DOOR IS SLIGHTLY OPENED.
ALWAYS CLOSE AND LATCH THE DOOR AFTER THE FIRE IGNITES.
4.5.2 The Top Down Fire
The top down method solves two problems with the conventional method: first, it does not
collapse and smother itself as it burns; and second, it is not necessary to build up the fire
gradually because the firebox is loaded before the fire is lit. A top down fire can provide up
to two hours of heating or more. The top down method works properly only if the wood is
well-seasoned.
Start by placing three or four full-sized split pieces of dry firewood in the firebox. Next, place 4
or 5 more finely split pieces of firewood (2" to 3" [50 mm to 75 mm] in dia.) on the base logs at
right angles (log cabin style). Now place about 10 pieces of finely split kindling on the second
layer at right angles.
The fire is topped with about 5 sheets of newspaper. You can just bunch them up and stuff them
in between the kindling and the underside of the baffle. Or you can make newspaper knots by
rolling up single sheets corner to corner and tying a knot in them. The advantage of knots is that
they don’t roll off the fire as they burn. Light the newspaper and watch as the fire burns from
top to bottom.
4.5.3 Two Parallel Logs
Place two spit logs in the firebox. Place a few sheets of twisted newspaper between the logs.
Now place some fine kindling across the two logs and some larger kindling across those, log
cabin style. Light the newspaper.
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