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How to Make a Fire Burn Hotter (5 Best Methods Decoded)

Setting up a campfire is an indispensable part of enjoying the adventure of camping. But there are techniques as to how one should set up the fire on the first hand. As per the experts, there are three main aspects of the fire to burn—energy, fuel and oxygen. These are the principal determining factors. Any change in any of these three aspects will change the nature of burning.

If you know how to make a fire burn hotter, then it will surely come handy in your camping adventures. It’s not that difficult to learn either, if you follow the basic steps that we will be mentioned here. So keep on reading if you are interested in knowing how to make a fire hotter and bigger.

how to make a fire burn hotter

The starting of the fire depends on four factors—tinder, kindling, fuel and fire starter. Firstly, the fire pit needs to be prepared with the tinders in the middle surrounded by the kindling. For better results, the kindlings can be surrounded by smaller fire logs. Then use the fire starter to light it up and as long as the fuel logs do not light, more kindlings need to be added and then gradually large-sized fuel logs.

How to Make a Fire Burn Hotter: Top 5 Best Methods

Here are some of the simple steps to follow if you wanna know how to make a fire burn hotter while camping. These are very basic and suitable for basic to pro level campers both. Let’s start!

1.Using Dry Wood

Any wood which has been sitting for at least one year or more will have its sap dried. This sort of wood is considered to be dry wood. Dry woods burn well. On the other hand, if the woods are still green, it is called a wet wood and is far more difficult to burn. Because of the absence of saps, the energy fills the wood faster than wet wood and helps the flame to burn hotter.

2.Providing More Oxygen

Increasing the influx of oxygen will also help the fire burn bright and hot. This makes the fire energy and gives dramatic results. However, one drawback of this method is that it is temporary. As soon as the pump is gone, the fire will return back to its original size. But, if it is required to burn the fire hotter to heat things a bit quicker, the method can always be practiced. Both manual bellows and electric bellows can serve the purpose well.

how to make fire hotter
how to make a fire burn hotter (easy ways)

3.Choosing Softwood

Woods can broadly be classified into two types—hardwood and softwood. Softwoods are ideal to set up a new fire. These types of woods tend to burn quickly with more energy and heat. The softwoods also tend to dry out faster. However, the hardwoods burn with much less heat but last much longer than the softwoods. But, for hotter fires, it is always recommended to use softwoods.

4.Opting a Different Wood Types

The types of woods that are ideally used for burning hotter fires include—apple, ash, birch, blackthorn, cherry, hawthorn, maple, oak, pine, sycamore, walnut, yew, osage orange, shagbark hickory, eastern hornbeam, black birch, black locust, blue beech, ironwood, bitternut hickory, honey locust, balsam fir, northern red oak, etc. These types of woods are more popularly opted for getting hotter fire during camping.

5.Widening the Surface Area

For longer and hotter burn, widening the surface area of the fire will give many satisfactory results. The widened surface area allows more oxygen to get to the fire and allows it to burn hot for a longer time. It allows better combustion and faster oxidation of the fuel thereby resulting in increasing the temperature. 

It is advisable to spread the ashes with the help of a long stick. For better results, it is required to prohibit the piling up of the ashes at the centre; rather it has to be layered evenly across the entire area. The metal fire tongs can be used for rearranging the fire into tepee shape or a broader cabin.

From the above discussion of how to make a fire burn hotter, it is affirmative that following these simple above-mentioned steps will give the desired result of getting a hotter fire. The hotter the fire is, the color of the flame becomes white or blue. A cooler fire will burn red or yellow. 

Better combustion determines the colour of the flame. Feeding the fire with more oxygen and choosing the right kind of wood are the two principal keys for making the fire burn hot. It also depends on the expert setting of the woods in the proper format. 

Even though the selection of the types of woods is correct, it will not give the desired result unless they are lighted up after careful setting. Therefore, all these factors combined contribute to getting hot fire.

Rocky D

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