FM 21-76 | CHAPTER 7 - FIRECRAFT
...continued from firecraft.
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 7-5), 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 7-5), 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.
Cross-Ditch
To use this method (Figure 7-5), 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 7-5), 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.
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: modern 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 7-6) 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 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 7-7) 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 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 7-8)
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.
- 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 7-8). 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.
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.
Go to Beginning
of Firecraft chapter - or - Go to Fire
Starting Supplies
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