Lay the Kindling

• Kindling is any flammable material used to start a fire. It is usually small pieces of wood cut long and thin. Place a few pieces of kindling in your fireplace to begin building your fire. Lay them across the grate lengthwise, as if you are framing the bottom of a box. You will add the flame to light the kindling after you have laid the rest of your wood.
  
  

Lay the Side Set of Logs

• Place one chopped or round log on each end of the kindling. Think of this as creating the sides of the box for which the kindling is the bottom. Move the back ends of the side logs close to each other so they are closed facing the back of the fireplace and open facing the front. The fire will thus be exposed to the front of the fireplace instead of being trapped in the back.
  
  

Lay the Top Set of Logs

• Place a few more logs on top of the side logs. Place them lengthwise, as if you were creating a roof. This is the top of your fire box.
  
  

Light the Kindling

• Place newspaper on top of the kindling inside the firebox. Light the newspaper using a fire starter or other safe method of ignition. The fire will project most of its heat outward, heating the room.
  
  

Warnings

• Before you light any fire you should make sure your chimney is cleaned out, and that there are no hazards in the fire area that could cause it to spread beyond the fireplace. Use a protective gate in front of the fireplace to prevent children or pets from getting too close to the fire.