"The domestication of fire occurred at least 10,000 generations ago and perhaps much longer. Once mastered, the technology allowed people to move beyond the moderate climate barrier, to explore and inhabit new worlds.
Fire prolonged the life of food, made food portable and palatable. Grass seeds could be turned into cakes. Fire could transform mud into brick, rock into metal, and sand into glass.
Fire has served as a test of character, pathway to the spirit world, means of freeing the soul from its earthly body, host for divine vision and a special gift from God. The domestication of fire is man’s greatest technological achievement. For perhaps a million years using and watching campfire has been a life supporting, recreational, intellectual and spiritual experience. Today in America, small-minded bureaucrats, armchair outdoor theorists and camp stove profiteers have successfully propagandized millions into believing building a campfire is an environmental sin. Incredible. !!!"
There are several means of creating fire. Modern and primitive. To build a fire, it helps to understand the basic principles of a fire. Fuel (in a nongaseous state) does not burn directly. When you apply heat to a fuel, it produces a gas. This gas, combined with oxygen in the air, burns.Understanding the concept of the fire triangle is very important in correctly constructing and maintaining a fire. The three sides of the triangle represent air, heat, and fuel. If you remove any of these, the fire will go out. The correct ratio of these components is very important for a fire to burn at its greatest capability. The only way to learn this ratio is to practice.
You need three types of materials to build a fire--tinder, kindling, and fuel.
TINDER--> Tinder is dry material that ignites with little heat--a spark starts a fire. The tinder must be absolutely dry to be sure just a spark will ignite it. If you only have a device that generates sparks, charred cloth will be almost essential. It holds a spark for long periods, allowing you to put tinder on the hot area to generate a small flame. You can make charred cloth by heating cotton cloth until it turns black, but does not burn. Once it is black, you must keep it in an airtight container to keep it dry. Prepare this cloth well in advance of any survival situation. Add it to your individual survival kit. Look on the Skills part in the Bushcraft Articles to find out how to make charcloth.
Kindling is readily combustible material that you add to the burning tinder. Again, this material should be absolutely dry to ensure rapid burning. Kindling increases the fire's temperature so that it will ignite less combustible material.
FUEL--> Fuel is less combustible material that burns slowly and steadily once ignited.
