Winter has hit Chicago with full force. It’s time to get the most out of your fireplace. Here are some tips for wood fires from “Light the Country Fire: The Homeowner’s Guide to a Neglected Skill” by Karen Bokram and Sarah Young.
– To check that your chimney will draw, light a piece of kindling, hold it near the top of the firebox and watch to see if smoke goes up the flue. If not, the damper may be closed or the chimney may be blocked by animal nests or fallen bricks.
– To build a good fire, start by placing two pieces of medium firewood across a pair of andirons. Put three or four well-wadded pieces of newspaper between them. Add five or six pieces of kindling on top. If the fire fails to catch, there may not be enough of a current of hot air rising up the chimney flue, drawing in oxygen to feed the fire.
– Once the fire has caught, periodically shift the wood around to keep the fire even and the logs in contact.
– When it’s time to go to bed, stand any substantial unburned logs on end at the back of the firebox, making sure they cannot topple over. Cover any live coals with a substantial layer of ash.
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Edited by Cara DiPasquale (cdipasquale@tribune.com) and Kris Karnopp (kkarnopp@tribune.com)
