https://www.fireplacesandstove.com/categories/wood-burning-stoves How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove Wood stoves can be an ideal method to reduce energy consumption and heat rooms. They will require some maintenance. Many modern wood stoves conform to EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker on the underside or next to the grate, to ensure that your stove doesn't generate a lot of harmful pollutants. How to start a Wood Fire The sound and smell of a fire made from wood can be a pleasant addition to any house. But it's important to learn the proper way to build a fire in your stove. can lead to a fire which does not burn well, and may produce smoke or creosote. The following tips can assist you in starting a fire that will heat your home with minimal effort and ensure your safety. Before you start a fire, you should check the condition of your logs and coals. If they're wet it will dampen your fire and prevent the proper burning. You might also want to open the flue to let any ash that has been deposited into the stove. Begin by putting a few small newspaper pieces that are dry in the stove. This will help ignite the sparks. Once these begin to burn, add a layer of larger pieces of tinder to the top of the pile. This should be done in a crosshatch pattern, so that there is air between each piece of wood. If you own wood stoves that have an automatic control for combustion that will automatically deliver an air stream that is controlled to the fire as it builds. This will allow the fire to burn continuously without the need to open the stove door frequently to check on it. It is important to not use too much tinder, as it can cause an unburned fire that burns at an extremely high rate and fails to utilize the fuel as efficiently as it could. After you've built a solid foundation in your stove that is made of tinder, kindling and embers, start the main flame by laying down two large logs of the base on the grate. Then, add an additional layer of smaller