How to Light a Fire With One Match

Reviewed by Ky Furneaux

If you are short on matches or just can't afford to waste one, learn how to build a very big fire with one match!

Steps

If you do not have a man-made fire pit, clear an area of all flammable material 3 feet (0.9 m) in diameter. Then dig a hole 10–12 inches (25.4–30.5 cm) wide by 6 inches (15.2 cm) deep. This is your fire pit.
2
Find suitable tinder. (Charred cloth, birch bark, dried leaves/grasses, or other airy and fine materials are great. If you can find nothing dry, use bits of your own clothing, the contents of your wallet or purse, or anything which you may have on you which will take fire.)
1. Other tinder materials:
2. Dry milkweed fluff (found in the fall)
3. Paper gum wrappers
4. Frayed wooden stick
5. Dried moss or lichen (found on the ground or on rocks)
6. Pine bark or pine needles (very flammable)
7. Pine cones
8. Cotton ball, may have petroleum jelly, chapstick (it's mostly wax), or alcohol on it to help it burn
9. Dried leaves or grasses
10. Waxed paper from food or candy bars
11. Birthday candles, especially joke candles that don't blow out
Advertisement
They burn out very easily. Use wooden ones. But if all you have is paper, don't give up; use them but remember they burn out more easily.
(3 or 4 corners usually work).
But be careful to not smother the fire. Add sticks slowly making sure the flame does not get smaller.

Search

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Try the log cabin effect for a huge, raging fire- Stack up the logs like a log cabin, and stuffing paper in the "cabin". Then, drop a match in on the paper and there you go!

Thanks
Helpful 15 Not Helpful 15
Use lighter fluid if it will not burn

Thanks
Helpful 13 Not Helpful 21
If a match is damp, roll it in your hair or strike it by stabbing it in to the center of the strike pad rather than dragging it along.

Thanks
Helpful 12 Not Helpful 20

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Be careful and responsible when you use fire.

Thanks
Helpful 15 Not Helpful 8
Do not get to close to it or wear loose clothes near it.

Thanks
Helpful 8 Not Helpful 13