make a fire ,chuck the stuff ya wanna burn on top after you light it ,i prefer a tipi shaped fire for that kind of burning quick and hot
some other backwoods fires
Tepee - The traditional "camp-fire" arrange in a cone shape and light at centre. Easy. Works well with damp wood.
Lean-To - Place a green stick into the ground at approx. 30 degrees, pointing into wind. Place your tinder far back under this stick and add fine kindling lean-to fashion along the sides. Ignite your tinder and as the kindling catches add more, thicker kindling.
Cross-Ditch - Scrape a cross about 30cm across and 7cm deep into the ground, place your tinder in the centre and build a pyramid of kindling over the top. The cross provides a good draft regardless of wind direction.
Pyramid - A long burning fire requiring little attention to keep alight, useful through the night. Lay to logs parallel on the ground, bridge these with smaller logs, follow up with another layer, smaller and at right angles to the last. Build up several layers until you have a flat surface of wood a bit thicker than your thumb. Either light a starter fire on this or carry burning fuel from your cooking fire. This fire will burn downwards.
Indian Fire - This is for an overnight or semi permanent campsite. Arrange your wood around your fire and end feed it in. If your need extra heat for cooking etc., then push the fuel into the middle of the fire and let it burn up, if you just want to keep the fire going then pull the fuel apart so you are not wasting fuel. Digging a small bowl under the main fire will enable the embers to stay hotter longer.
Star Fire - The star fire is the next extension of the Indian Fire and uses 4 big logs, traditionally at the four points of the compass. The fire is regulated again by moving the logs in and out of the fire.
Criss-Cross Fire - This fire is best suited to a cooking fire, it burns up quite quickly to leave a good even bed of coals. Look at the illustration below to see how it is constructed. Light a small Indian fire first and then build over the top of this.
Altar Fire - On very wet ground or peat ground, you will need to make an altar fire. This is basically a fire that is raised off the floor on a platform. You need to make sure that the platform is lined with a suitable material that will not burn. You need to do this on Peat as you risk setting the ground alight.
Hunters Fire / Trench Fire - Based on the same idea that the fire is sheltered from the wind by logs or a trench. If the prevailing wind is from east to west, the trench should also be from east to west, allowing the fire to be fanned. Use green logs to line a hunters fire as they do not burn through so quickly.
"Suspension" fires - These fires are designed to hold the food or pot over the fire
Reflector fire - This type of fire is especially good for backwoods cooking because you can direct the heat straight at the food. Use logs or large stones (not flints) behind the fire, held up with wooden stakes driven into the ground. Take care not to sit opposite the reflector or you will be baked as well!!!
