savageagle
HamRadio/Office of Emergency Services/Fire-EMT-SAR
Fire and Survival.........
Fire has a strong positve psychological impact upon an individual in a survival situation.
Fire is the most important survival tool after your personal wilderness knowledge, maintenance of calm and a positive attitude.
Fire provides warmth which helps your mind have a positive approach.
Fire makes you feel protected from all "those wild animals out there in the shadows".
Fire let's you cook meals and use many edible plants that would otherwise be hard to prepare.
Wet cloting can be dried in a fire. This can help you avoid hypothermia.
Water can be boiled for purification.
Fire can be used to send smoke signals.
Fire can be used to burn the end of a stick to make a pointed spear.
Fire and smoke can repel insects.
Fire can be used to burn trunks or large sticks so they are more manageable to be used for condtruction of a shelter.
Smoke can be used to smoke out wild bees to access their honey.
Fire can be used to smoke small animals out of their burrows into traps.
FIre torches, at night, can be used to blind fish in shallow streams making them easier to capture.
Building a fire, when needed will increase your ability to survive in the wilderness. Build a fire as soon as you have a basic shelter. You can improve
on your shelter once you have a fire going in the dark.
You should appreciate the importance of fire and know the different methods of starting a fire, transporting a fire,
and building a fire to fill your needs. Alway's keep a case of waterproof matches on your body.
Build a small fire as it requires less energy, burns wood at a slower rate and is easier to control.
To maximise heat build a series of small fires in a circle around your camp.
SITE FOR FIRE.......
Avoid windy areas as the fire can flare up and burn out of control. If required build a reflector or windbreak out of green wood, rocks or
dig a pit. The advantage of a reflector is that it concentrates in the desired direction.
Clear the camp ground of all inflammable material before starting a fire. Rake towards the center where you will burn all
the leaves, pine needles and other debris then clear a perimeter outwards from the fire area.
DO NOT build a fire against an old log or tree trunk as it may smolder for days and burst into flames when fanned by the breeze.
DO NOT build a fire below the boughs of a tree as they will be dried by the heat and might catch fire.
Before de-camping make sure that all sparks of the fire have been put out by thoroughly drenching or smothering it completely
with wet earth or sand.
If the ground is wet or snow covered build a platform of green or wet logs or stones. DO NOT use wet or large humid rocks as
they might explode when they are heated.
( Important for areas such as Northern California where you find lava rock. Looks like a sponge and lighter than normal for it's size.
Has many air pockets and when heated can become projectiles and could cause damage and personal injury)
( I have experienced this first hand. Had my vehicle left with major dents as the lava rocks became heated they began to "shoot" from the fire
exploding in all directions. If your hit you can sustain serious injury and may need medical attention).
TYPES OF WOOD........
Hardwood.
In general hardwoods make good, slow burning fires that yield long lasting coals. These trees have broad leaves which most of them
lose in the fall. (deciduous)
Hardwoods are not necessarily always harder than sofdtwoods.
Softwood.
Softwoods make a hot fast fire that is short lived. These trees have needles (flat needles: cedars, round needles" pine) and cones.
This is why they are called conifers.
Most are evergreens (do not lose their needles) except larch, cypress and tamarack.
WOOD FOR A FIRE.
You have to know:
The relative heating value of differnet woods.
How well each wood burns in the green state.
Which wood makes long lasting coals and which one dies down to ashes.
Which woods pops when burning and casts embers that may burn holes in bedding, clothes, tents and possibly cause a forest fire.
Difficulty in splitting
Ease of lighting.
PEAT MOSS.
Peat moss is an accumilation of plant deposits that have collected in swamps and bogs over hundreds and thousands of years.
The plant debris did not decompose as it lacked oxygen. The peat moss is removed by slicing it like blocks of snow. On harvesting
it is dried before use. Peat is found in much of Unites States and Canada. It makes great Peat fires and
was very popular during colonist times.
STARTING A FIRE
Start with the smallest of fuels.......dry grasses, moss etc. a very small handfull or less, uncompressed.
(If you have used a saw type blade to cut wood, SAVE the saw dust for this).
You want to succeed the first time so start very small and advance to larger and larger fuels taking care NOT to
smother the fire. BE PATIENT and allow the fire to fully consume the fuels you have given it before adding new
fuels to burn.
In a "pinch" you can obtain material from inside a jacket that will get a small flame started, enough flame to ignite the next
larger fuels.
Another item to keep in your "go bag" is a wad of steel wool and a 9 volt battery. Tear off a small piece of steel wool
and form a "nest" of sorts making it round with the sides higher than the middle. Like a "bowl" shape. Place in the middle
your dry grass, moss or other fuel then use the 9 volt battery and press it against the bottom of the steel wool allowing the
positive/negative contacts of the battery to contact the steel wool. When a circuit is completed between the positive and negative
contacts of the battery the steel wool will glow "red hot" and ignite the fuel inside giving you a small flame to start with.
This will be your fire base to build on slowly adding larger and larger fuels to get the desired fire you need.
REMEMBER to BE PATIENT and take the small advances to build your fire and you'll succeed.
Instead of steel wool and a battery, make this "nest" out of moss or dry grasses and use a magnesium or "flint" fire starter
and get your sparks into the middle of your "nest" then lightly blow on it while adding small amounts of more fuel. If it's got a "glow"
to it you can get a flame out of it, just be patient and don't smother it.
If you don't succeed the first time do it again. Pratice makes perfect and most small children love to practice this one.
My 2 grandboys love to make all types of fires with grandpa and they have the most patience of all of us, and of course they are the
most satisfied and excited when we succeed.
Good Luck with FIRE MAKING, SAFETY IS ALWAYS FIRST AND FOREMOST, as is your life and the lives of others. BE SMART.
Fire has a strong positve psychological impact upon an individual in a survival situation.
Fire is the most important survival tool after your personal wilderness knowledge, maintenance of calm and a positive attitude.
Fire provides warmth which helps your mind have a positive approach.
Fire makes you feel protected from all "those wild animals out there in the shadows".
Fire let's you cook meals and use many edible plants that would otherwise be hard to prepare.
Wet cloting can be dried in a fire. This can help you avoid hypothermia.
Water can be boiled for purification.
Fire can be used to send smoke signals.
Fire can be used to burn the end of a stick to make a pointed spear.
Fire and smoke can repel insects.
Fire can be used to burn trunks or large sticks so they are more manageable to be used for condtruction of a shelter.
Smoke can be used to smoke out wild bees to access their honey.
Fire can be used to smoke small animals out of their burrows into traps.
FIre torches, at night, can be used to blind fish in shallow streams making them easier to capture.
Building a fire, when needed will increase your ability to survive in the wilderness. Build a fire as soon as you have a basic shelter. You can improve
on your shelter once you have a fire going in the dark.
You should appreciate the importance of fire and know the different methods of starting a fire, transporting a fire,
and building a fire to fill your needs. Alway's keep a case of waterproof matches on your body.
Build a small fire as it requires less energy, burns wood at a slower rate and is easier to control.
To maximise heat build a series of small fires in a circle around your camp.
SITE FOR FIRE.......
Avoid windy areas as the fire can flare up and burn out of control. If required build a reflector or windbreak out of green wood, rocks or
dig a pit. The advantage of a reflector is that it concentrates in the desired direction.
Clear the camp ground of all inflammable material before starting a fire. Rake towards the center where you will burn all
the leaves, pine needles and other debris then clear a perimeter outwards from the fire area.
DO NOT build a fire against an old log or tree trunk as it may smolder for days and burst into flames when fanned by the breeze.
DO NOT build a fire below the boughs of a tree as they will be dried by the heat and might catch fire.
Before de-camping make sure that all sparks of the fire have been put out by thoroughly drenching or smothering it completely
with wet earth or sand.
If the ground is wet or snow covered build a platform of green or wet logs or stones. DO NOT use wet or large humid rocks as
they might explode when they are heated.
( Important for areas such as Northern California where you find lava rock. Looks like a sponge and lighter than normal for it's size.
Has many air pockets and when heated can become projectiles and could cause damage and personal injury)
( I have experienced this first hand. Had my vehicle left with major dents as the lava rocks became heated they began to "shoot" from the fire
exploding in all directions. If your hit you can sustain serious injury and may need medical attention).
TYPES OF WOOD........
Hardwood.
In general hardwoods make good, slow burning fires that yield long lasting coals. These trees have broad leaves which most of them
lose in the fall. (deciduous)
Hardwoods are not necessarily always harder than sofdtwoods.
Softwood.
Softwoods make a hot fast fire that is short lived. These trees have needles (flat needles: cedars, round needles" pine) and cones.
This is why they are called conifers.
Most are evergreens (do not lose their needles) except larch, cypress and tamarack.
WOOD FOR A FIRE.
You have to know:
The relative heating value of differnet woods.
How well each wood burns in the green state.
Which wood makes long lasting coals and which one dies down to ashes.
Which woods pops when burning and casts embers that may burn holes in bedding, clothes, tents and possibly cause a forest fire.
Difficulty in splitting
Ease of lighting.
PEAT MOSS.
Peat moss is an accumilation of plant deposits that have collected in swamps and bogs over hundreds and thousands of years.
The plant debris did not decompose as it lacked oxygen. The peat moss is removed by slicing it like blocks of snow. On harvesting
it is dried before use. Peat is found in much of Unites States and Canada. It makes great Peat fires and
was very popular during colonist times.
STARTING A FIRE
Start with the smallest of fuels.......dry grasses, moss etc. a very small handfull or less, uncompressed.
(If you have used a saw type blade to cut wood, SAVE the saw dust for this).
You want to succeed the first time so start very small and advance to larger and larger fuels taking care NOT to
smother the fire. BE PATIENT and allow the fire to fully consume the fuels you have given it before adding new
fuels to burn.
In a "pinch" you can obtain material from inside a jacket that will get a small flame started, enough flame to ignite the next
larger fuels.
Another item to keep in your "go bag" is a wad of steel wool and a 9 volt battery. Tear off a small piece of steel wool
and form a "nest" of sorts making it round with the sides higher than the middle. Like a "bowl" shape. Place in the middle
your dry grass, moss or other fuel then use the 9 volt battery and press it against the bottom of the steel wool allowing the
positive/negative contacts of the battery to contact the steel wool. When a circuit is completed between the positive and negative
contacts of the battery the steel wool will glow "red hot" and ignite the fuel inside giving you a small flame to start with.
This will be your fire base to build on slowly adding larger and larger fuels to get the desired fire you need.
REMEMBER to BE PATIENT and take the small advances to build your fire and you'll succeed.
Instead of steel wool and a battery, make this "nest" out of moss or dry grasses and use a magnesium or "flint" fire starter
and get your sparks into the middle of your "nest" then lightly blow on it while adding small amounts of more fuel. If it's got a "glow"
to it you can get a flame out of it, just be patient and don't smother it.
If you don't succeed the first time do it again. Pratice makes perfect and most small children love to practice this one.
My 2 grandboys love to make all types of fires with grandpa and they have the most patience of all of us, and of course they are the
most satisfied and excited when we succeed.
Good Luck with FIRE MAKING, SAFETY IS ALWAYS FIRST AND FOREMOST, as is your life and the lives of others. BE SMART.
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