How to Light a Log at Home

Open the flue. There will be a handle or chain inside the fireplace at the bottom of the chimney used for opening and closing the flue. The flue circulates air through the fireplace, providing the oxygen necessary to keep a fire burning and pulling smoke up and out of the house through the chimney.

Crumple up six to eight sheets of newspaper into balls and place them beneath the grate. Newspaper ignites quickly with matches, so this is where you will light the fire.

Place two handfuls of kindling on top of the grate. Kindling can be purchased from firewood suppliers and lumber yards, although small sticks and twigs from the yard that have had time to dry out will work, too. Cross the pieces of kindling over each other at different angles so air can circulate through them.

Put a seasoned (well-dried) log on top of the kindling. A split log or two smaller logs are better than one big one for the base of the fire, as they ignite more easily. If you want to build a fire that will burn for longer, place more logs on top of the first one or two logs at a 90 degree angle to the first log.

Light a long fireplace match and touch it to the newspaper in several places, working your way across the grate. The burning newspaper will ignite the kindling, which will burn just long enough to light the log or logs.

Close the fireplace doors, leaving them slightly ajar. If your fireplace does not have glass doors, use a bellows to keep air circulating beneath the fire until the log ignites.