Fuel in fire making refers to any and all material that is combustible and will ignite. The quintessential fuel that most of us immediately think of is wood, or logs. Wood is not only highly combustible, but it is also abundant and a completely replenishable resource that grows all over the world naturally. That is why it has been a favorite fuel for fire making for millennia.
While wood is typically a terrific fuel for fires, not all wood is created equal. For example, wood from live trees or rotten trees is often not good to use in fires, at least not until your fire is good and established. The reason for this is the enemy of fire is moisture, and both "green" wood from live trees and rotten wood frequently contain high levels of moisture in them. Dry wood is the best fuel for your fire. It burns fast and hot.
Moisture content is not the only important variable in selecting your fuel. Another variable to consider is "surface area". Surface area refers to the amount of the fuel's surface that is exposed to oxygen. For example, a large diameter log has very little surface area for it's mass. This makes it very difficult for it to ignite except for in sustained high temperature situations. In contrast, a found bird's nest has a huge surface area for it's mass, with all of it's nooks and crannies. A bird's nest could possibly ignite just from a single spark and a little coaxing.
A material's ability to ignite is directly impacted by its fuel to oxygen ratio, which is why surface area plays such a huge role in ignition. The more surface area your fuel has (the less dense it is), the more likely it is to ignite with less heat. The less surface area it has (the more dense or compact it is) the less likely it is to ignite.
For this reason, fuel is traditionally broken into three different categories. Each of these categories is determined by size. The size of the fuel directly impacts its surface area, therefore its combustibility. These three categories are tinder, kindling, and logs
See our
Fuel Categories
page.
Combustibility is also impacted by other qualities in your fuel. Besides dryness and surface area, others significant variables in your fuel's ability to ignite include density, amount of resin it contains, and others. Dense woods like oak or other hardwoods have some great qualities as fuel, but they can be tough to start a fire with. Resinous trees, on the other hand, like pines and birches, are great to start fires with because they contain so much resin. Resign is highly flammable and can often be ignited with just a spark from a fire steel or ferro rod.
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