How To Build A Campfire In 7 Easy And Safe Steps - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Build a Campfire PDF download Download Article Explore this Article IN THIS ARTICLE 1 Build a fire ring in a safe location. 2 Collect your tinder. 3 Gather kindling and firewood. 4 Arrange the kindling and firewood. 5 Light the fire. 6 Put out your fire. 7 Cleanup all traces of your fire. + Show 4 more... - Show less... Other Sections Expert Q&A VideoWATCH NOW Tips and Warnings Related Articles References Article Summary Co-authored by Dan Hickey Reviewed by Ky Furneaux

Last Updated: June 9, 2025 Fact Checked

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This article was reviewed by Ky Furneaux and by wikiHow staff writer, Dan Hickey. Ky Furneaux is a survival expert, outdoor guide, and professional stuntwoman based in Australia. She’s been featured in over 100 films and TV productions, and has hosted, produced, and participated in some of the most extreme TV survival shows including MTV’s Made and Discovery’s Naked and Afraid. She has authored 5 survival books, including "The Superwoman’s Survival Guide" and "Survive: The All-In-One Guide to Staying Alive in Extreme Conditions", with the goal of sharing her knowledge of survival techniques with others. As an accomplished stuntwoman, she won a Taurus Award in 2012 for Best Female Stunt Performer and has doubled stars like Jennifer Garner, Anne Hathaway, Jaime Alexander, and Sharon Stone. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 450,568 times.

Summertime isn’t complete without a good ole campfire, but how do you build one? Starting a campfire at a campground or in backcountry is a breeze once you know which sticks to grab and how to arrange them. That’s why we’ve put together a step-by-step guide to safely and successfully building your own friendly campfire. Keep scrolling so you can get to those roasted marshmallows and campfire songs!

How to Make a Campfire: Quick Steps

  1. Dig a shallow pit and surround it with rocks to create a barrier.
  2. Place tinder, like dried leaves, twigs, grass, and pine needles, in the fire pit.
  3. Lean kindling or firewood together to form a teepee shape over the tinder.
  4. Light the tinder so it ignites the kindling and firewood.
  5. Add more firewood as needed as the fire burns.
  6. When you're done, extinguish the fire completely by drenching it with water.

Steps

1

Build a fire ring in a safe location.

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  1. Create a fire ring Create a fire ring if you can't find one and your camping site allows it. Clear a circle of bare dirt about 10 feet (3.0 m) wide. In the center, dig a shallow fire pit 2 feet (0.61 m) wide and 6 inches (15 cm) deep.[1] Use dirt or medium-sized stones from nearby to build a circular barrier around the central pit.[2]
    • Look for a spot on level ground away from overhanging branches, dry grass, or brush. Stay away from the bases of any hills (escaped fires travel quickly uphill).[3]
    • Whenever possible, it’s best to use an existing fire ring to safely contain your fire and preserve the beauty of the campground or backcountry.
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2

Collect your tinder.

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  1. Tinder is any very dry, small material that will catch fire quickly. Tinder is any very dry, small material that will catch fire quickly. Look for tiny dried twigs, dry leaves or grass, or pine needles to start your fire with. You can even use crumpled newspaper or dryer lint from home if you plan ahead. Place your tinder in the center of your fire ring.
    • More options for making tinder for your fire could be wood chips or shavings, pieces or strips of cardboard, candle wax, cotton balls, or a commercial fire starter.
    • All of your tinder material—including twigs or sticks—should be small enough to fit in your cupped hands and very thin (around the width of pencil lead).
3

Gather kindling and firewood.

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  1. Look on the ground for dry, dead sticks and branches. Look on the ground for dry, dead sticks and branches. The best kindling sticks will be about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide and long enough to reach from your elbow to your fingertips. Firewood will be larger—about the thickness of an adult wrist (or more) and as long as an arm.[4] Buy firewood or kindling from a store near the campground if your site or park doesn’t allow collection, like in many national parks.
    • Only use firewood found or bought near the campsite. Wood from home can harbor pests that can interfere with the site or park’s local ecosystem if they escape and spread.[5]
    • Keep large piles of kindling and firewood near the fire so you don’t have to leave it unattended to gather more.
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4

Arrange the kindling and firewood.

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  1. Fires for cooking or for warmth require different arrangements of wood. Fires for cooking or for warmth require different arrangements of wood. While any configuration can technically work, set up your kindling and firewood for success based on your needs. Here are some common and useful ways to build your campfire:[6]
    • A teepee fire is simple and effective. Lean your kindling together to make a teepee (cone) shape over your tinder. Leave space between the sticks so air can feed your flames. As the fire grows, add bigger pieces of firewood.
    • A log cabin fire is great for long lasting warmth. Lay 2 large pieces of firewood parallel to each other. Put 2 more logs on top, perpendicular to the base. Build a few more layers like this, then make a teepee with kindling around the base.
    • Build a platform fire to cook over your open flames. Make a base of 2 or 3 large logs lying horizontally. Then place smaller logs vertically on top. Build a small teepee of kindling at the very top so the fire burns downward.
    • Build a star fire when you’re low on firewood. Make a small teepee with kindling, then lay several logs around the teepee so that only one end of each log is touching the teepee. The logs will be slowly consumed by the fire.
    • Make a lean-to fire to protect against wind and rain. Put down one large log, then lean smaller pieces of firewood against it perpendicularly to make a lean-to. Make a mini-teepee under the lean-to.
5

Light the fire.

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  1. Ignite the tinder... Ignite the tinder first to spread fire to the kindling and firewood. Once the tinder catches the kindling on fire, keep adding kindling to sustain and grow the flames. Add firewood once the fire is large and stable enough to light bigger pieces of wood.[7] For safety, use only matches, a lighter, or a small amount of lighter fluid if the tinder won’t catch.
    • As you add wood, leave room for air to circulate within the fire. Only use dry kindling and firewood when possible (it burns easier and smokes less).
    • Besides lighter fluid, avoid other accelerants (chemicals that ignite raging fires) like gasoline since they can easily burn out of control and become dangerous.[8]
    • Never squirt or spray lighter fluid or any other chemicals onto embers or an open flame. This could result in sudden flare ups, burns, or spreading the fire.
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6

Put out your fire.

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  1. Fully extinguish your fire since burnt wood can stay hot for hours. Fully extinguish your fire since burnt wood can stay hot for hours. A gust of wind can reignite or spread embers when you’re not looking, so this is extra important. Check to see if your campfire is still too hot to touch. If it is, pour water over the fire, logs, and pit to put it out completely.[9]
    • If you don’t have water, cover the embers and logs with dirt. Use a poker or shovel to continually stir the dirt and embers around until they are fully extinguished.
    • It's best not to use sand to cover a campfire. The fire may look like it's out on the surface but still burn underneath the sand (because it's insulating). If sand is all you have available, make sure to stir it around and put out the embers, not just cover the fire.
    • A good rule of thumb for putting out campfires is “if it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave.”[10]
7

Cleanup all traces of your fire.

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  1. "Leave no trace” of your fire to reduce your impact on the environment. "Leave no trace” of your fire to reduce your impact on the environment. Replace any soil you used where you found it, and scatter unburnt wood to make the area look as natural as possible. Make sure your wood or coals are completely burnt and crushed into dust, then scatter them over a large area away from your campsite.[11]
    • Clean up any litter, including uneaten food you roasted or garbage you burnt, and dispose of it according to the rules of your campsite.
    • Wait until your fire is completely extinguished and cool before you begin cleanup.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question How much kindling would I need to keep a fire going all night? Britt Edelen Britt Edelen BA in English Literature, Brown University Britt Edelen comes to wikiHow after graduating in 2019 from Brown University, where he studied English and German literature and philosophy. While at Brown he contributed frequently to campus publications and worked in the university’s Writing Center. More recently, he has had several articles published in various journals devoted to literary criticism. During his time at wikiHow, Britt supervised and collaborated with writers and editors to continue producing high-quality content and promote wikiHow’s mission of enabling everyone to learn anything. Britt Edelen Britt Edelen BA in English Literature, Brown University Expert Answer The advice that was always given to me in Boy Scouts was if you need to keep a fire going all night, or for 24 hours, you need a pile of kindling that's the size of a VW Beetle. Then, just to be safe, double it. So basically two cars worth of kindling. That 100% will get you through the night. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 19 Helpful 7
  • Question How do you put out a campfire without water? Britt Edelen Britt Edelen BA in English Literature, Brown University Britt Edelen comes to wikiHow after graduating in 2019 from Brown University, where he studied English and German literature and philosophy. While at Brown he contributed frequently to campus publications and worked in the university’s Writing Center. More recently, he has had several articles published in various journals devoted to literary criticism. During his time at wikiHow, Britt supervised and collaborated with writers and editors to continue producing high-quality content and promote wikiHow’s mission of enabling everyone to learn anything. Britt Edelen Britt Edelen BA in English Literature, Brown University Expert Answer If you don't have water, you can use dirt. Just make sure you're using a lot of dirt to snuff out any oxygen. Sand is another good option, so long as you make sure the fire is extinguished and not just covered by the sand. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 3 Helpful 11
  • Question What size sticks should I use for a campfire? Britt Edelen Britt Edelen BA in English Literature, Brown University Britt Edelen comes to wikiHow after graduating in 2019 from Brown University, where he studied English and German literature and philosophy. While at Brown he contributed frequently to campus publications and worked in the university’s Writing Center. More recently, he has had several articles published in various journals devoted to literary criticism. During his time at wikiHow, Britt supervised and collaborated with writers and editors to continue producing high-quality content and promote wikiHow’s mission of enabling everyone to learn anything. Britt Edelen Britt Edelen BA in English Literature, Brown University Expert Answer It depends on the size of the fire. You can't just continue putting big sticks on a small fire because that will suffocate it. To maintain size and maintain safety, you'll want to use smaller sticks when the fire is smaller and then add bigger sticks as it grows. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 1 Helpful 8
See more answers Ask a Question 200 characters left Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Submit Advertisement

Video

Tips

  • Only gather dead wood you find on the ground. Never cut or break branches from living or downed trees since they’re part of the local ecosystem and provide food and shelter for animals.[12] Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
  • To start a fire with wet wood, make sure that your kindling material is dry to begin with. Build a raised fire bed to keep your fire off the wet ground, and chip away the bark or outer layers of wet firewood to reveal the drier wood inside.[13] Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
  • Always review your campground or local area’s rules about where you can build a campfire and how big you’re allowed to make it. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

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References

  1. ↑ https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/modoc/home/?cid=stelprdb5313899
  2. ↑ https://raleighnc.gov/education-and-learning/services/commonly-asked-raleigh-fire-questions/fire-pits-and-open-burning
  3. ↑ https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/modoc/home/?cid=stelprdb5313899
  4. ↑ https://www.gvsu.edu/rec/outdoors/leave-no-trace-68.htm
  5. ↑ https://www.gvsu.edu/rec/outdoors/leave-no-trace-68.htm
  6. ↑ https://parks.canada.ca/serapprocher-connect/ltc-dlc/bases-basics/feudecamp-campfire
  7. ↑ https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/to-build-a-fire.pdf
  8. ↑ https://www.nps.gov/articles/campfires.htm
  9. ↑ https://www.nps.gov/articles/campfires.htm
More References (4)
  1. ↑ https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/to-build-a-fire.pdf
  2. ↑ https://www.gvsu.edu/rec/outdoors/leave-no-trace-68.htm
  3. ↑ https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/to-build-a-fire.pdf
  4. ↑ https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/to-build-a-fire.pdf

About This Article

Ky Furneaux Reviewed by: Ky Furneaux Survival and Outdoors Expert This article was reviewed by Ky Furneaux and by wikiHow staff writer, Dan Hickey. Ky Furneaux is a survival expert, outdoor guide, and professional stuntwoman based in Australia. She’s been featured in over 100 films and TV productions, and has hosted, produced, and participated in some of the most extreme TV survival shows including MTV’s Made and Discovery’s Naked and Afraid. She has authored 5 survival books, including "The Superwoman’s Survival Guide" and "Survive: The All-In-One Guide to Staying Alive in Extreme Conditions", with the goal of sharing her knowledge of survival techniques with others. As an accomplished stuntwoman, she won a Taurus Award in 2012 for Best Female Stunt Performer and has doubled stars like Jennifer Garner, Anne Hathaway, Jaime Alexander, and Sharon Stone. This article has been viewed 450,568 times. 20 votes - 75% Co-authors: 65 Updated: June 9, 2025 Views: 450,568 Categories: Camping Article SummaryX

To build a campfire, start by digging a shallow pit and clearing out any nearby vegetation. Then, put some tinder, like crumpled up paper or wood shavings, in the bottom of the pit. Next, arrange your kindling and firewood around the tinder in a teepee shape. When you're ready to light the fire, hold a lighter underneath the tinder until it catches. Wait for the flames to spread to the kindling and firewood. If they go out before the bigger pieces of wood catch, try adding more tinder and relighting the fire. If you want to learn more, like different shapes that you can build your campfire, keep reading! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Yes No Advertisement If you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission.Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Ky Furneaux Reviewed by: Ky Furneaux Survival and Outdoors Expert 20 votes - 75% Click a star to vote Co-authors: 65 Updated: June 9, 2025 Views: 450,568 D. C.

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"I followed the steps, and it was an easy process. I enjoy campfires. I used my butane torch and it was amazing." Anonymous

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