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| − | === Introduction ===
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| − | Fire is the release of energy in the form of heat, light, and other products, as a result of combining oxygen and organic materials with heat. The earliest use of fire by humans or human-related hominids has been debated, but some research suggests controlled use of fires as early as 400,000 years ago.
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| − | <br><br>
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| − | The number of uses for a fire are virtually limitless. Fire provides a way to manipulate resources, conserve energy, and increase longevity for the user. Here are some examples:
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| − | * Cooking food (to conserve calories by breaking down food for us)
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| − | * Eliminating / reducing infection from consumed foods
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| − | * Providing a light source
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| − | * Creating, making, and manipulating tools
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| − | * Communication and emergency signaling
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| − | * Warmth
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| − | * Psychological morale boost
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| − | * Protection from animals
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| − | * Controlled land management
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| − | Fire also has an important ecological role, clearing out the forest floor and changing the landscape in it's wake. Many species have adapted to benefit from forest fires, perpetuating the natural cycle of succession and ecosystem development.
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| − | <br><br>
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| − | From a modern perspective, fire has become a tool of recreation associated with nature and the outdoors. We teach fire skills because they are of the utmost importance in survival situations, they assist in connecting students with nature, and finding growth and understanding in the connection between humans and the natural world that is greater than us.
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| − | === Fire Basics ===
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| − | Creating fire requires three things:
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| − | # Fuel/Organic material
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| − | # Oxygen - (from the atmosphere)
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| − | # Heat - (you or some other source must supply the heat. example could be a spark)
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| − | These three components together are often referred to as "The Triangle of Fire." Without one of the components present, the triangle cannot become complete and you will not successfully have or start a fire. When troubleshooting fire starting or fire building failures, it is essential to evaluate these three constituents and find out what was missing.
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| − | ===== 1. Fuel =====
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| − | There are three sizes of fuel that we will refer to. '''Tinder,''' '''Kindling,''' and '''Fuel.'''
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| − | <br>
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| − | '''Tinder''' - Tinder is generally soft, fibrous plant material with a large surface area. Another fun nickname for this is a bird's nest, or tinder bundle. Some of the best tinder can be made from inner and outer barks, fluffy seed down, plant stalks, and many other natural materials. It is important to learn and try many materials in your area.
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| − | <br>
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| − | '''Kindling''' - Kindling are small branches of wood, roughly pencil lead thickness to pinky finger thickness. Kindling's will be placed above your tinder after ignition to absorb the heat and bring your young fire to the next stage.
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| − | <br>
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| − | '''Fuel''' - Fuel is a generic term for wood material larger than pinky thickness in diameter. Some small effective fuels can be as thick as your thumb, and once your fire becomes hot and strong enough, full logs can be applied.
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| − | <br>
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| − | When harvesting tinder, kindling, and fuel, seek the driest material possible. Materials gathered on the ground will be colder, damper, and less ideal than materials gathered standing. Broken and fallen sticks hanging in tree branches are the best because they have the opportunity to dangle and dry, thanks to gravity and the wind. They also have the added benefit of being protected by the canopy of leaves from the trees above them.
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| − | ===== 2. Oxygen =====
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| − | Fortunately, our atmosphere is comprised of approximately 21% oxygen. This means that when we light our fires, we do not have to add oxygen to our system.
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| − | <br><br>
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| − | This does, however, become a problem when our fire is stacked too tightly, and the flow of oxygen is limited; in these instances we need to adjust our materials so oxygen can make contact with the surfaces that are attempting to ignite. There are many strategies for achieving this, and fire designs and shapes will be discussed in a section below.
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| − | ===== 3. Heat =====
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| − | Thanks to oxygen being readily present and available, our last ingredient for combustion is heat. Theoretically, if the ambient temperature were hot enough, your fire would not need the injection of a heat source (by you) to start. That is why a branch on a bed of coals will eventually lose it's moisture and catch.
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| − | <br><br>
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| − | We can add heat to start a fire in a number of ways, but the most common way is with a flame from a match or lighter. We can also use friction, sparks from flint and steel, ferrocerium, or other electrical means. Different methods of heat creation will also be discussed in a dedicated section below.
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| − | === Creating Fire ===
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| − | There are nearly unlimited ways to create a fire. This document will suggest a few options based on the core concepts of fire making described above, along with several other considerations, such as weather and extreme circumstances. Please investigate, train, and learn as much as you can about fire making. It can be a very gratifying, lifelong pursuit of mastery.
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| − | <br><br>
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| − | === Ignition Methods ===
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| − | === Fire Lays & Configurations ===
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| − | === Hazards and Staging ===
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| − | === Working with Kids ===
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| − | === Fire based activities ===
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