Here on our little island of Salt Spring, we heat our home primarily with a wood stove. I’ve mentioned this before, in this post. I also mentioned that starting a fire is not my forte. I am getting better, but I was still struggling along to get anything burning in our wood stove when I didn’t have my hubby around to make sure the wood was fully engulfed in flames.
Until I was let in on a little secret, that is.
Popping by my neighbour’s to learn the in’s and out’s of feeding her kitties, she shared this phenomenally helpful tip, and gifted me with a large, heavier than normal hunk of wood.
The wood was so heavy because it was laden with sap. Otherwise known as pitch. Or tree-blood, if you want to get creepy about it.
I had never heard this before, but was delighted to find out that sap-soaked wood is extremely flammable. Chop off a little bit of this sticky log for kindling, pop it in the ol’ wood stove, flick your lighter and *HUZZA*! Instant, raging fire. No paper even necessary!
How cool, and frozen-finger frustration saving is that?! Is this a common piece of knowledge I just didn’t know?
Thanks, neighborino! I shall no longer waste reams worth of newspaper (thanks to crosswords for “ream”) and hours of my life blowing my lungs out at embers that just won’t take.
Now to find more sappy logs…
2 thoughts on “An Easy Trick for Starting a Fire”
I know all about sap, or pitch. We used to come home covered in when I worked during the summers at my dad’s sawmill. Ah I wish we had our fireplace inspected. We have lived in this house 9 years and have never used the fireplace. Basically it is a place for toys to congregate.
I know a lot of people with fireplaces that are not for fires. It is a bit of upkeep getting it cleaned and inspected each year, but so worth it!