https://www.fireplacesandstove.com/categories/wood-burning-stoves How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove Wood stoves are a great option to conserve energy and heat a room. They require some care. Many modern wood stoves comply with EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker under or beside the grate to make sure your stove won't produce many harmful pollutants. How to start and the sound of a fire can be an enjoyable addition to any home. It's crucial to learn the correct method to create a fire on your stove. Incorrect techniques can lead to a fire that doesn't burn effectively and produces creosote or smoke. These tips can help you start an efficient fire that can heat your home quickly and effectively. Before you begin an fire, make sure you check the condition of your coals and logs. If they are wet they could smother the flame and stop it from burning properly. You may also want to open the flue to let any ash out that has been deposited into the stove. Begin by placing a few small newspaper pieces that are dry in your stove. This will help ignite the tinder. Once they start to burn, add another layer of larger pieces of kindling to the top of the pile. This should be done using the crosshatch pattern to ensure that there is air between each piece. If your wood stove has an automatic control for combustion, it will automatically feed air to the flame as it grows. This will allow the fire to burn at a steady rate without having to open the stove door to keep it in check. Do not use excessive tinder since it will cause the fire to burn at an extremely fast rate and not use the fuel effectively. Once you've made a solid foundation in your stove that is made of tinder, kindling and embers begin the main flame by laying down two large logs of the base on the grate. Then, you can lay a layer of smaller logs parallel to these and on top of the base logs. This method of constructing an ember called a "top-down" fire can result in a successful and long-lasting