Lighting your log burner is an easy task, but it can be a hassle if you don’t have the right materials. Firelighters are made to light your log burner fires really quickly. But firelighters always seem to run out at the most inopportune moments. Plus, they’re not very environmentally friendly.
Thankfully, there are alternatives for lighting your log burner without using firelighters. You can use alternatives like egg boxes, pumice stones, tea lights or newspaper.
This article will discuss how to light a log burner without firelighters safely.
What Can Be Used Instead of Firelighters?
So what can you use instead of firelighters? Luckily there are some great substitute for firelighters, let’s look at these in more detail.
Egg Boxes
Egg boxes (made from cardboard not plastic!) make an excellent firelighter alternative. If you collect up all your empty cartons after cracking open a few dozen eggs, you’ll get hold of enough of them to not run out.
You can buy them for cheap in bulk here if you wanted to stock up:
Light the egg box and then place it under one or two logs that you’d like to burn.
The cardboard will provide good kindling for the logs and they’ll catch fire quite easily.
Pumice Stones
The second firelighter alternative we have is pumice stones. If you can get your hands on a bag of pumice stones or if you save some of the ones you use to scrape your heels then you’ll be able to light fires without matches or lighters.
It’s easy: just soak them in diesel and light them with a match. The heat from the burning pumice will ignite the logs underneath, so place your chosen kindling over the ashes and wait for it to catch fire.
Pumice stones make great firelighters because they burn at such a high temperature. They’re also safe to use indoors (unlike other firelighting options).
Tea lights
If you have a box of tea lights in your kitchen cupboard then you’re in luck: just place one under each log that you’d like to burn, and wait for it to warm up the wood.
The heat from the tea light will ignite the logs underneath so place your chosen kindling over them and wait for it to catch fire.
Tea lights are a good choice because they offer an intense flame, so they’ll get your log burner burning quickly and easily. Plus, it’s easy to source tea lights if you use them often in your home.
Newspaper
Newspapers are another great way to start a fire without lighters because it will catch fire easily and also produce an intense flame that will burn the logs underneath. However, it burns quickly, so ensure to have a good stock of it to hand.
To use it as a firelighter, simply crumple up several individual sheets of newspaper and place it under or between your logs.
There are ways of creating newspaper firelighters to allow the newspaper to burn longer and the air to flow better around the fire but most people find the scrunched up ball method works just fine.
You just don’t want the newspaper too densely packed so the air can flow.
Different types of newspaper burn better than others. Glossy paper and coloured magazines tend to smoke and aren’t great, it is better to get a matte (old traditional) kind of newspaper.
Newspaper, whatever type you use, can smoke a little so do be careful. A lit ball can also easily fall out of the fire if the door is not shut so do be careful.
How to Light a Log Burner Without Firelighters – A Summary
Lighting a log burner without firelighters is a straightforward and eco-friendly process that can be easily accomplished with a bit of patience and practice.
There are several alternative to firelighters, follow the steps outlined including the use of the top-down method, kindling, and natural materials, you can create a roaring fire in your log burner without relying on chemical firelighters.
