Can I light a fire without wood?

[sitsyou]

I have coal (fresh and burnt) and firelighters [hopeful]

you might be lucky....any newspapers to make knots with??

I'd make the cinders into a heap with some loosely rolled and knotted newspapers around and through it, add in firelighters, bearing in mind you might need a second attempt and put some new coal on top.

Depends on the coal though if it is at all smoke free stylee it'll be a bugger ime.

thanks catsmamma yes I have newspaper (at least I think I do)
coal is normal type
I hope it works I'm FREEZING

I have used old dusters and scraps of cloth with furniture polish sprayed on them. Stuff them with newspaper twists in between the coal.

I would leave the paper out, and put small bits of coal and half-burnt stuff in a small pyramid on the firelighters. Add more coal as the fire takes. It means a bit of nurturing but it's perfectly possible.

Totally agree about smokeless fuel, major PITA.

can you get hold of anyone to fetch home some kindling??? Just in case, cos if you have a backup plan hopefully you won't need it!

good luck! I am sending you "firelighting vibes" !! :D

Then again I have also used Bombay Mix, cornflakes and dried pasta in the past.

Yes. But you need paper curlers, obviously, so get all your old newspapers folded up origami fashion, stick them over firelighters, stick coal over that and hope for best.

Can you tear up a cereal box?

Loo roll middles are very good too.

Have you any old candles or wax in the bottom of night lights? They work a treat to help get a fire going as the melted wax coats the combustible and helps it burn. Makes a satisfying crackle too

I forgot the tealights - they work well too.

plastic milk cartons are also highly flammable....an older couple i know of use one a day to get their coal fire going.

probably not very enviromentally friendly but still needs must when the temperature falls

Lol, I meant tea lights, not night lights

ooh got some tealights- trying not to get too excited but so far so good...
think will stay away from plastic cartons catsmamma
[wonders if shreddies will work]

My mum always lit her coal fire using just newspapers (rolled up and tied into twists). I think she had a knack for it though . It sometimes used to take me a few goes, but you had to have the paper good and tight so it didn't burn away too quickly. I tended to use firelighters, making a little pyramid like OldLady says. When necessary I would add a little cooking oil to help things along (carefully)

Egg boxes are good too & butter wrappers

Do you have a tumble dryer ? you can stuff the fluff into a loo roll and burn it.

thanks for all your advice, it's not roaring but it's definitely lit and the coal is red . I used paper, cinders, firelighters and coal, then added some shreddies in an old tissue box which made a nice crackling noise
have loads of egg boxes will try those next time

Could you locate some wood from round the house (any chairs you could jump on to smash up a bit, wicker garden furniture - wont be needing to replace that for a while - take a hammer to an old chest of drawers - hack away at a table, can always eat on the sofa)

Glad you got it going, it's a cold night!

for future - take a piece of newspaper, starting at one corner fold it over and over itself to make a long flat roll. Half fold in the middle (so you have a right angle) fold one piece over the other and continue until you have a wee folded bot of paper - tuck ends in and ta da a newspaper firelighter.

now don't let it go out!

:D

Rosemary I did go in all the rooms trying to find wooden things I could burn. I had to stop myself from using the kids' wooden train track