Looking for the crowning piece for your backyard party or barbecue? There’s no better way to draw a crowd than with a great big bonfire. Your guests will surely have a blast sitting around the blaze, swapping stories, roasting hot dogs, and making memories that’ll last a lifetime.
While starting a fire is simple, building an award-winning bonfire requires some planning. Learn how to create a bonfire that dazzles below, then call us for tree services in Middlebury, CT.
Select the Right Site for Your Bonfire
One of the biggest mistakes bonfire builders make stems from setting up their fire in a poor spot. Once you’ve built your fire, you can’t move it, and the blaze can quickly get out of control. This is why you must pay attention to safety precautions when building your bonfire.
Choose a spot that’s far away from vegetation, especially dry grass, which will very easily catch aflame. Avoid trees, too. Bonfire flames can jump higher than you’d expect, and you wouldn’t want to lose a pretty tree because of your lack of planning.
Make sure there are no gas lines nearby, as well. It goes without saying what happens when you pair fire with gas.
For the safest bonfire, invest in a fire pit. A high-quality fire pit will keep your blaze contained and under control.
Gather Tinder and Kindling
Wondering how to create a bonfire that turns heads? An impressive bonfire starts with the firewood. For the base of the bonfire, you want logs, not tiny twigs that’ll burn into ash within minutes. However, thick, chunky logs don’t burn very well. Use an axe to split them lengthwise first. Avoid wet wood, as it’ll smoke instead of burn.
Once you have your wood, it’s time to start building. Arrange the logs in a teepee structure (it’ll look kind of like a triangle when you’re finished). Use three thick, heavy logs to build a tripod first, which will serve as the base. Arrange the other logs around the tripod, leaving a few gaps here and there so you can add more logs later if necessary.
Start Your Fire and Enjoy the View
You’ve figured out how to create a bonfire, but how do you get the blaze going? It’s not as easy as you might think! Sometimes, you’re lucky to start the fire with nothing more than a match on the first try. Other times, your bonfire will need a helping hand.
One trick is to use fire starter cakes, which contain a mixture of wax and wood chips. They’re designed to start fires quickly and burn for a long time. This way, you can enjoy your fire for hours without having to worry about adding leaves or twigs for kindling.
Never use gasoline to start your fire or keep it going. This creates an incredibly dangerous situation and can trigger an explosion.
When You’re Done With the Bonfire
Properly designed bonfires will collapse inwards on themselves and eventually go out, but that doesn’t mean you should leave your fire to its own devices. An unattended bonfire can easily spread to your yard or even your house.
When you’re finished with the bonfire, douse it thoroughly with water and make sure all the embers are out before leaving the site.
Schedule Expert Tree Care From Our Arborists
Now that you know how to create a bonfire the right way, why not call our team for tree care? GM 2 Tree Services, LLC is Middlebury’s top choice for pruning, land clearing, tree removal, and stump grinding. To get an estimate, call us at (860) 940-5783 or keep reading to learn our best tree care tips