The best way to start a fire in a wood burner depends on what you have available as fuel and accelerants, how well the burner is maintained and whether you need a quick, hot fire for cooking or a long-burning fire for warmth. Using a grate, keeping the hearth free of fine ash and keeping the chimney and flue free of obstructions and built-up residues will ensure maximum efficiency.
Check the chimney and flue for damage from the previous heating season and for bird or animal nesting materials and droppings. You will have to remove any obstructions from the chimney and flue. Professional chimney cleaners or a commercial chemical cleansing log can remove creosote buildup. Open and close the flue several times to reveal whether or not it is working properly. You will also have to sweep and discard all ashes.
30-year home builder and heating contractor, Jeff Ramold, who has heated his 2600-square feet home exclusively with an Overnighter wood burner for the past 15 years states, "Start your fire with well-seasoned, thin-sliced slab hardwood. Season logs for at least a year after cutting and splitting them, or kiln-dry split logs until they have visible cracks in the ends. Green wood will burn, but your fire will not be as hot."
Logs should be cut an inch or so shorter than the full interior length of the wood burner and split. If you are going to use newspaper logs when starting your fire, dip them in paraffin, beeswax or soy wax first or they will not fully ignite. Newspaper burns more effectively when crumpled into loose balls. Fill the firebox grate six to ten inches deep with them. Stack two-inch wide lengths of thin-cut slab wood across the newspaper balls, with the short ends facing you. Lay wider, longer and thicker pieces of slab wood perpendicular or on a diagonal to the first sticks. Soak well with charcoal starter or kerosene. Light immediately, using a barbecue lighter or long fireplace matches. Keep your face turned away, with the fire box door between your face and the fire, and be aware of potential backdraft.
Close firebox door as soon as the fuel ignites. Open the door a crack to see if the fire stays lit, allowing a little extra air to flow through the fire box. Leave door cracked until fire appears to be burning well. Add slab wood as needed until a bed of glowing orange coals forms. Once fire is well-established, lay larger logs across the coals. Keep the split side of the log against the flames or the hot coals and away from the door to ensure air flow.
Go outside and check the smoke coming from your chimney. According to the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association, "...the smoke is your operational barometer. If your fire is burning properly, you should only see the white transparent steam of evaporating water. The darker the color of the smoke, the less efficiently you are operating the appliance. It may be necessary to adjust the operation of your wood stove to decrease the smoke."
According to David E. Baker of the University of Missouri Extension, "There are three basic stages to wood combustion:
Water is removed by evaporation and vaporization. This heat does not warm the stove or room.
At 500 degrees F, the wood starts to break down chemically, and volatile gases are formed. These vapors contain from 50 to 60 percent of the heat value of wood. At approximately 1,100 degrees F, these gases, when mixed with the proper amount of air, break into flames and burn. To ensure complete combustion, maintain this temperature and a sufficient air supply.
