I learnt to light a fire when I was in Girl Guides. Actually, to be more precise, my dad taught me to light a fire when I wanted to get my Camp Cook badge! From then on I used to light the wood stove at my parent's house when I got home from school on cold winter days. Fire lighting is a surprisingly useful skill and I think there's a few people around who have missed out on learning it, so here's my method. Lighting a fire in a woodstove is a bit different from a fire outdoors, as it is really important to establish a draught. That means that as the hot air and smoke rises out of the fire and up the chimney, fresh air is sucked in through a hole in the door. If you don't have a draught, the fireplace will just fill with smoke and the fire will suffocate due to lack of oxygen. Before starting the fire, ensure that the baffle that closes off the chimney is open and the vents in the door are fully open as well. newspaper and kindling I usually start with a f